On this year's International Women's Day, the recipients of this year's Women of Courage Awards were honored by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Under Secretary Paula Dobriansky. Eight women representing countries from around the world from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo, among others, were lauded for their work and commitment to others. This group was chosen from a pool of 95 women nominated by American embassies around the world.
This is the kind of good news that is usually overlooked as we drown in the negative. It's a shame, really, where the state of journalism is today and the demands of 24 hour cable news. I read about this year's honorees thanks to a column written by Myrna Blyth at National Review Online. Who can't use a good story today, right?
Blythe quotes Secretary Rice: "In too many parts of the world, unfortunately, women still struggle for basic rights and liberties in places where discrimination and exploitation and violence against women is all too common and all too often accepted or tolerated...Despite seemingly insurmountable challenges and often at great risk to their own lives, today's honorees have made a conscious decision to remain committed to the cause of equal justice for women."
Suraya Pakzad founded Voice of Women in western Afghanistan. The organization managed to protect and counsel women during the Taliban's reign and continues today.
Dr. Eaman Al-Gobory, an Iraqi, arranges care abroad for children with special medical needs.
Begum Jan cares for women and children in Pakistan's tribal areas, a dangerous environment.
The fourth Middle Eastern honoree, Nibal Thawabteh, is a politician, editor and author from the Palestinian Authority. Her newspaper takes controversial issues on, like polygamy and honor killing.
Farhiyo Farah Ibrahim is from Somalia, the youngest honoree. She lives in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya and works on behalf of women, girls and refugees. She speaks out against the practice of female genital mutilation. She is a victim of abuse and uses her own experiences to speak out.
The Fijian Women's Rights Movement is led by Virisila Buadromo.
Cynthia Benden of Paraguay fights against the trafficking of women.
Valdete Idrizi of Kosovo, is an ethnic Albanian and lost her home in Serb-controlled north Mitrovica in 1999. Today she crosses over into Serb-controlled territory to run projects for women and youth. She moves from house to house for reasons of safety. She risks beatings, kidnappings, and death.
Good for them.
2 comments:
Great write-up Karen. Thank you. We most certainly need good news. These women are not heard about enough. With all the bad news and the decrying of womens lib here in the US it behoves me that more women bloggers do not promote this.
About a year ago I did a series on my own life as a Christian - converted to Muslim - converted BACK to Christianity - how my life took a terrible downhill road while I was married to a radical muslim et al.
I tried to garner some support from some high profile bloggers and a columnist I used to write for to help me get the word about spousal abuse, children being taken and brainwashed into Islam --- nothing. I was ignored. In fact the columnist I used to write up for still had the audacity to send me her work to publish on my blog like I was her lap dog. No more. I stopped writing for her and I stopped asking high profile bloggers to help me get my story out - BECAUSE they are all opportunists at the end of the day and only care how far their career can take them and the name they can make for themself. That is how most American women are - self-centered and petty and so, so catty.
I know some like you who are not like this and will print about other women, their rights, and do it for the pureness and truth of getting the word out to help other women, especially those in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Africa, not to mention India, Pakistan, Indonesia et al.
I appreciate you caring to do this Karen. It is refreshing to see selflessness in our blog stories.
If you are ever interested in reading my series of stories start by looking up "Why I could not become a Muslim" -- there is so much I wrote to deter other women from making the same mistakes I made and going down a path that would only bring misery.
I thank G-d everyday that I am out of all that and married to a wonderful man and we have been blessed with a son, now nine and a half years old. G-d is good!
Sorry I rambled so much! Thanks again for this great and uplifting post Karen!
And good for you for reporting on it- otherwise I wouldn't have known and I'm happy to know. Thank you.
Yes, yes, the state of today's Journalism- arrghhh.
Post a Comment