US State Department to recognize Bangladeshi women protest leaders for exceptional bravery

Women student leaders, who were “key drivers" in the protest against the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh last year, are among the women from around the world who will be awarded by the Donald Trump administration for their “exceptional courage, strength, and leadership”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and First Lady Melania Trump will host the annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards ceremony at the Department of State on Tuesday.

The women student protest leaders of Bangladesh will be honoured with the Madeleine Albright Honorary Group Award, named after the first woman to serve as US Secretary of State.

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“A valiant group of women were key drivers in the student protest movement against violent repression in Bangladesh in July-August 2024. They demonstrated extraordinary bravery, including standing between security forces and male protestors in spite of threats and violence,” the State Department said in a statement.

“When their male counterparts were arrested, these women found innovative ways to continue communication and lead the protests, defying censorship efforts, even during the complete shutdown of the Internet. The bravery and selflessness of these women amid uncertainty was the very definition of courage,” it said.

Now in its 19th year, the Secretary of State’s IWOC Award recognizes women from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership – often at great personal risk and sacrifice.

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Since 2007, the Department of State has recognised more than 200 women from over 90 countries with the IWOC Award.

US diplomatic missions overseas nominate one woman of courage from their respective host countries, and the finalists are selected and approved by senior department officials, the statement added.

The honorees also include Namini Wijedasa from Sri Lanka, an award-winning journalist who has chronicled the human toll of the south Asian island nation’s civil conflict.

“Over time, her focus shifted to combating corruption through investigative reporting, bringing critical accountability issues to the forefront and inspiring the next generation of journalists,” the statement added.

Through her work, Wijedasa has “consistently championed accountability, emphasising that meaningful change can only be achieved when the people demand transparency from those in power, urging them to address the nation’s long-standing challenges.” Despite restrictive legislation that had a chilling effect on many reporters and freedom of expression in Sri Lanka, she remains undeterred in her pursuit of positive change, it added.

Among the awardees is Amit Soussana of Israel, who “uses her voice to courageously advocate for survivors by using her own lived example to describe the trauma she suffered as a hostage of the October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel.

Soussana has raised awareness of the conditions faced by the women, men, girls, and boys who remain hostages of Hamas. An attorney and a licensed member of the Israel Bar Association since 2014, Soussana is an advocate for the hostages that remain under Hamas control following the October 7, 2023, attacks.