International women of courage award. She called for continued progress on womens issues around the globe. Two of the award recipients also spoke about their experiences advocating for human rights. This is 50 minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the first lady of the United States, melania trump, acting undersecretary of state tom shannon, and the 2017 International Women of courage award recipients. [applause] mr. Shannon good morning. Its my great pleasure to welcome you to the state department and the 2017 International Women of courage awards ceremony. Madam first lady, mrs. Melania trump, thank you so much for for being with us today. We are deeply honored by your participation in this important celebration, and grateful for your commitment and that of the president to the wellbeing and success of women and girls across the globe. Please join me again in welcoming the first lady. [applause] i would also like to welcome the members of the diplomatic corps who are with us here today and, of course, the Women Joining us on this stage, the 2017 International Women of courage. Thank you very much. [applause] the secretary of states award for International Women of courage is part of our celebration of womens History Month and International Womens day. The secretary wanted to be here to present these awards himself. Regrettably, he is on his way to ankara and brussels but extends his heartfelt congratulations to these honorees. Since 2007, this award has honored women from around the world who have exhibited exceptional courage and leadership, who have drawn strength from adversity to help transform their societies. These women have mobilized public sentiment and their governments to expose and address injustice, speak against corruption, prevent violent xtremism, and stand up for the rule of law and peace, often with little more than their voices and sheer determination. We are honored to recognize this incredible group. Shortly, you will hear each womans story. They are an inspiring reminder of how individuals can make a difference. Taken together, they provide a powerful message of courage and leadership. As we celebrate the accomplishments of these women, we also provide them with a platform for telling their stories. After this celebration, they will participate in a state department sponsored Exchange Program to engage with american audiences around our country, contributing to the tradition of peopletopeople diplomacy. The United States is proud to honor these leaders as part of our commitment to advance the status of women and girls around the world. I want to take a moment to thank my colleagues in the secretarys office of global womens issues for the work they do to ensure that gender equality and womens empowerment are integrated into our foreign policy. I also want to recognize the bureau of educational and Cultural Affairs whose programs like the International VisitorsLeadership Program on which these women are about to embark, are an important element of our diplomacy. The work of our colleagues here at the state department embodies a commitment that comes from the very top of our administration. As secretary tillerson has said, there is study after study to onfirm that when you empower the work of our colleagues here at the state department embodies a commitment that comes from the very top of our dministration. As secretary tillerson has said, there is study after study to confirm that when you empower women in these developing parts of the world, you change the future of the country because you change the cycle within the families. Womens empowerment is not just a moral imperative, it is a strategic investment in our collective security. In short, when women do better, countries do better. Womens security is a matter of international security. Without it, we all lose. President trump and his administration are committed to expanding opportunities for women and girls domestically and across the globe. On february 13, President Trump and canadian Prime Minister trudeau launched the United Statescanada council for the advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and business leaders. On february 28, President Trump signed two bills into law. First, the inspiring the next space pioneers and innovators and explorers act and second, the promoting women and entrepreneurship act, both of which encourage women to pursue careers in engineering, science, and mathematics and to provide support for womens entrepreneurial programs through the National Science foundation, so it gives me great pleasure to introduce someone who has played him a central role in that ffort. As a philanthropist and a humanitarian, the first lady has been a driving force behind the administrations effort to promote women and children in our society. Mrs. Trump has been an honorary chairwoman for the boys club of new york for five consecutive years, and in 2005, was awarded the title of goodwill ambassador by the american red cross. She helped launch National Child abuse Prevention Month in april 2008 and has been a champion for the american heart association. Her deep concern for issues affecting women and children continue as she has focused as first lady on the challenge of Cyber Bullying among our youth. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming the first lady of the United States, mrs. Melania trump. [applause] ms. Trump thank you, thank you. Ambassador shannon, dignitaries, esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen, im deeply humbled to be here today to honor these 12 remarkable and inspirational women who have given so much for so many, regardless of the unimaginable threat to their own personal safety. Each one of these heroic women has an extraordinary story of courage, which must inspire each of us to also achieve more than we have ever imagined ossible. Their lives remind us of the boundless capacity of the human spirit when guided by moral clarity and desire to do good. These honorees on the stage with me have fought for their rights and for the rights of others. Each Battle Forces such as government, the courts, gender bias, terrorism, war and corruption, and were willing, in each moment, to face harsh penalties, including imprisonment and death. As they continue to persevere against unimaginable odds, these women are extraordinary examples of reaching within to find the courage that lies inside us all to change the world. While learning the stories of these 12 honorees, i would like to ask each of us to take this moment and try to imagine what it would be like to experience the trying obstacles, domestic abuse, gender biased violence, or government oppression that some of these women have faced. Let us try to envision ourselves in their place, struggling against gender bias and discriminatory laws which serve to protect the predators of unthinkable crimes while punishing their victims should they even dare to speak out. Ask yourself if you would have the fortitude of spirit, the courage of your convictions, and the enormous inner strength required to stand up and fight against such overwhelming dds. Amazingly, each of our honorees has courageously answered yes to those questions. For it is their strength and the strength of others like them which will unite a global battle against inhumanity. Together with the International Community, the United States must send a clear message that we are watching. It is therefore our duty to continue to shine the light on each miraculous victory achieved by women all capable of truly eading the change to fight for those that cannot fight for hemselves. Theirs are the stories of human greatness that will continue to inspire, and therefore must be told far and wide. These honorees who have fought on the front lines against injustice are true heroes. Heir stories of individual bravery remind us that there is always hope whenever the human spirit is brought to bear in the service of others, and that healing and personal empowerment re often born from such. I believe bravery is the ability to live ones life refusing to be discouraged and instead choosing a life of purpose. Only when we do this are we able to surpass what we previously believed to be possible. Each of these 12 women represents a life of enormous courage, to save a child, to help a family, to make a neighborhood or school safe, or to boldly speak out against evil by refusing to back down no atter the personal cost. To the young people here today, i ask you to allow the examples of these heroic women to inspire you in your own lives, and to remind yourself that you, too, are capable of greatness. I urge you to not be afraid to ail. A failure will never have the power to define you as long as you learn from it. And realize that your first step will always involve taking a leap of faith, believing in yourself while choosing to eplace fear with hope. Let these brave women serve as daily inspiration, as it is now up to each of you to remain vigilant against injustice in ll its many forms. As you go forward, remember, their journeys to push ahead and strive to bring about a better community, a better country, and a better world in an ongoing ight for right over might. We must continue once again to shine the light on the horrendous atrocities taking place in neighborhoods around the corner and around the globe, where innocent families are crying out to live in afety. We must continue to fight injustice in all its forms, in whatever scale or shape it takes n our lives. Together, we must declare that the era of allowing the brutality against women and children is over, while affirming that the time for empowering women around the orld is now. For wherever women are diminished, the entire world is diminished with them. However, wherever women are empowered, towns and villages, schools and economies are empowered, and together we are all made stronger with them. We must begin now to challenge old fears, fight for justice and stand up against evil and injustice wherever it may e. As leaders of our shared global community, we must continue to work towards gender empowerment and respect for people from all backgrounds and ethnicities, remembering always that we are all ultimately members of one race, the human race. Each one of us is uniquely ifted. We must continue living with American Values as we join with the International Community to make our world safer through acts of collaborative and individual bravery. Thank you, honorees, for your courage, and thank you, ambassador shannon, for your support. God bless you, and god bless this great nation. Thank you. [applause] mr. Shannon thank you very much for your inspiring words, and thank you for honoring us with your presence here today. As the first lady noted, courage takes many forms. This year, were pleased to recognize 13 extraordinary women who are demonstrating courage in four pivotal areas exposing and opposing genderbased violence, standing up to terrorists, combating corruption, promoting justice and human rights for all. 12 of them are here today. We will call each one here to the podium next to the first ady to receive her award and then have an opportunity to hear from some of the awardees. The first awardee is Sharmin Akter of bangladesh. Sharmin defied intense family pressure to marry a man decades older when she was just 15. Despite there being a law in bangladesh that prohibited early enforced marriage. Holding her ground and filing charges against her own family, sharmin gained the support of a newspaper journalist who helped to expose the case, and she won the right to continue her education. In standing up for her rights, she sets a precedent for other girls and their families to invest in their girls and envision a new future of opportunity for them. Sharmin is being honored for her exceptional courage and perseverance to break the silence around early and forced marriage, and for being a role model for other girls who suffer needlessly from this harmful practice. Sharmin . [applause] mr. Shannon our next awardee is Arlette Contreras batista of eru. A survivor of abuse and violence, her attack by a wellconnected city councilman was filmed and splashed across social media and television. She turned her tragedy into a National Cause for advocacy. When her abuser was sentenced to a token oneyear suspended sentence, she spoke out and dedicated herself to working with other victims of violence, which eventually led to her launching a Grassroots Movement called not one woman less to raise awareness of genderbased iolence. Arlette is being honored for her fearless activism on behalf of survivors of genderbased violence, and for standing up to demand that the government and judiciary hold perpetrators to account. Thank you. [applause] mr. Shannon our next honoree is Malebogo Molefhe from botswana. A beautiful country. A former National Basketball player who had her whole life ahead of her, she was brutally assaulted at the hand of an exboyfriend, escaped death and now uses a wheelchair due to the injuries she endured. He has dedicated her life to teaching other girls to fight harmful gender stereotypes and domestic abuse. She is being honored for her tenacity, strength, and resilience to help other women and girls overcome the scourge of domestic violence, especially those who have become disabled as a result of such abuse. [applause] mr. Shannon our next honoree is Natalia Ponce de leon from colombia. In surviving a sulfuric acid attack by a stalker, she underwent multiple surgeries to address burns to her face and body. She calls her recovery a rebirth which led her to start her own foundation to help other acid attack survivors. As a result of her advocacy, the Colombian Congress passed the Natalia Ponce de leon law in anuary 2016. Natalia is being honored for her relentless pursuit of justice against acid attacks and fighting for the promotion of a law to hold perpetrators to account. Natalia . [applause] mr. Shannon our next honoree is Jannat Al Ghezi from iraq. After surviving domestic abuse, her tribal family threatened her life. She now dedicates her life to protecting other women from violence. She has furthered the organization of womens freedom in iraqs cause by providing shelter, protection, training, and Legal Services for women, including those who have suffered brutality at the hands of isis. She is being honored for self for selflessly working on behalf of women and survivors of abuse, courageously telling her story at great risk to her personal safety, and providing shelter, education, and opportunities for women to reclaim their lives from the threat of violence and extremism. Annat . [applause] mr. Shannon our next honoree is is major Aichatou Issaka Ousmane from niger. Soldier, mother, and United Nations peacekeeper. She exemplifies what it means for a woman to serve on the front lines of conflict. And peace building. She has not only helped people deal with the trauma caused by conflict and the threat of violent extremism, including boko haram, she also understands the deep need for social services to pave the way to recovery for families affected by war and conflict. She is being honored for her steadfast devotion to healing those wounded by conflict and errorism, for demanding social services for those left to suffer the consequences of war in order to prevent further violent extremism. Major ousmane . [applause] mr. Shannon our next honoree is Veronica Simogun from papua new guinea. Founder for the family and change association and advocate for women and girls in papua, new gi nee, she lives and works in a country where 2 3s of women and girls have been physically and sexually abused due to their gender. Despite facing Death Threats for her work with survivors, veronica has devoted herself to helping others and building relationships with local Law Enforcement and men and boys to overturn the cultural norm that deprive women and girls of of girls of their status and basic rights. Veronica is being honored for her relentless dedication to protecting victims of violence and Vulnerable Women and children, and for the pursuit of supportive partners in men and boys to make her country a violencefree society. Veronica. [applause] mr. Shannon our next honoree is Rebecca Kabugho of the democratic republic of congo. Subjected to oppression, arrests, and months in jail for her political activism and peaking her mind, rebecca was, at age 22, dubbed one of the youngest prisoners of conscience in the world. Rebecca played a key role in a series of peaceful and nonviolent demonstrations demanding the congolese government hold Credible Elections in 2016 as required by the congolese constitution. Upon her release in 2016, she emerged as a voice demanding democratic reform and social change. Rebecca is being honored for her visionary leadership, commitment to ushering in positive change through nonviolence, and for standing up to improve the lives of the disadvantaged in her country. Rebecca . [applause] ur next honoree, sandra from sri lanka. When her husband a wellknown political cartoonist, disappeared in 2010, she resolved to seek the truth about his faith. She appeared in court more than 80 times in the face of obstructionist judges and authorities. She has become a symbol for the many thousands of persons who have suffered the loss of disappeared relatives over the course of the 27 year civil war and earlier insurrections. She is being honored for her relentless pursuit of the truth about those who have disappeared during conflict. Holding the government accountable and bringing hope to others suffering a similar fate. [applause] ousmant honoree is sadat of turkey. Even after suffering a debilitating car accident that left her incapacitated for months she she refused to back down from her claims, despite pressure from the authorities and pressure from other teachers. Sadat is being honored for her unwavering determination to uncover generations of sexual abuse of schoolchildren, particularly girl, and for her integrity of pursuing justice in the face of government pressure and apathy. Sadat. [applause] our next honoree is sister caroline tehan of syria. Sister caroline, a roman tholic nun, is being regular recognized for her outreach and service to the refugee community, internally displaced persons and children, putting her own life at risk. Shes become a beacon of hope to both muslims an christians alike. In addition to running a Nursery School and providing a safe environment for tralmkiesed children, she also runs a tailoring workshop to provide job skills to vulnerable displaced women. Sister caroline is being honored for her perseverance in serving those affected by the syrian conflict and willingness to safeguard and empow ter the most vulnerable, including children, refugees and displaced women. Sister caroline. [applause] our next honoree is fatdi tabbet of yemen. A Child Protection officer and reporter on Human Rights Violations in southern yemen during the recent conflicts, faddia risked her life to protect the regions children from al qaeda and houthi militia. Her acts of courage dissuaded young boys from joining terrorist groups and militias. Yemeni sed the Al Qaeda Branch as a recruiter of child soldiers as well as documented Human Rights Violations by other armed groups for the United Nations. She is being honored for putting her own life at risk to protect children from being recruited by terrorist groups and militias and her bravery in exposing the Human Rights Violations and crimes committed by various armed groups. Faddia. [applause] finally, we honor woman one who was not able to be here today. Vote yam. Nguyen of an outspoken critic of injustice and Human Rights Violations, blogger and activist, shes been held incommune caw doe at a Detention Center since october after exposing a toxic waste dump, one of the worst environmental disasters in vietnams history. While she cannot join her fellow women of courage at this ceremony, we admire her for refusing to be violenced and her defense of freedom of expression. Shes being honored for jerez luteness to expose injus us injustices and corruption and using her voice to stand up for the protection of peoples rights and freedom. [applause] now it is my pleasure and my honor to introduce two of our International Women of courage who will give remarks on behalf of the group. May i bring to the podium botswana and natalia spons de leon of colombia. Natali Ponce De Leon of olombia. First lady melania trump, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Today for me marks the pinnacle of every womans success story. I am greatly honored to speak on ladies. F the phenomenal oftentimes we work selflessly with sacrifice so others can learn from us, we allow ourselves to be brave despite the ridicule, the judgments, and the societal pressures. This moment is for everyone who has supported me, most importantly, my family and my friends. [applause] and for the courageous women who have stopped at nothing to effect change. As a genderbased violence survivor and also a woman living with a disability, a result of a brutal attack, i take pride in knowing that i didnt lose my strength. And i continued to use my story to inspire other women and to learn from me and to partake in changing, in helping change the lives of others who may be going through a situation in their lives and not knowing how to exit. Allow me, please, to thank the organizers of this event for recognizing women who have made an impacting impression and continue to make a contribution in the societies in helping shape the lives of other women, nd helping change the brutal perceptions of the world. Thank you. [applause] hello, everyone. I never would have dreamed i would have the honor to be speaking to you today. Let alone i would not have imagined that in order to be here today i will first have to go through a nightmare and later a rebirth. Almost two years ago, i was at my moms house and i received a call. Supposedly my exboyfriend left me something for me at the door. I did not pay much attention and when i went to take out the garbage, i was surprised by a man in a hood who attacked me with a liter of sulfuric acid. I felt my skin burning. My clothing torn apart by the chemicals. And i started losing my sight. By the time we arrive at the hospital, 37 of my body was burned and my entire face. My doctors were not sure what percentage of my internal body was affected. I could be blind or have muscle trauma for a lifetime. T was a time of doubt. Today i thank my for being my Guardian Angel and for everything he taught me. During my recovery i understood that i had two options. The easy way, i could lie in bed, filling myself up with hate and anger. Or the hard way is standing strong and making all these strategies something greater. And so i did. Two days ago, it was three years since the day of the attack. , i alive on this planet have a life and started a different one. I believe after a long process, i can assure you on march 27, i died and i was reborn from the ashes. Amazingly i started a better life. A life with a mission. A life dedicated to a bigger purpose. My attack was not the only one and i started to contact with other victims of acid attacks. Talking to other victims was a relief and a pain at the same time. It was living again what happened to me. It required a lot of strength. I would not have accomplished it, what i did in three years, ithout strength. I was mentally strong, with effort to understand that pain and suffering was something transcendent. Cufrpbl is just a word without strength to accomplish our goals, small or big, that is subjective. My biggest goal at the beginning was getting out of bed like everyone else. Today, my biggest goal is to create a burn unit for hospitals in colombia. The most powerful tool we have is our mind and its strength. It gives us opportunity to reach higher. None of our goals mine or yours, would have would have been accomplished without constancy. For me, constancy is a quality to remine invaluable regardless of circumstances. T requires keeping yourself in mind along the way. Constant constancecy got me through surgeries, five massages a day, no matter how painful they were, and the constant use of a mask to allow my skin to get back to where it was upposed to be. I am not a perfect human being. Honestly none of us are. But the wonderfulness of being a human being lies in the capacity for resilience and moving forward. In order to do that, it is important to leave the past behind. Forgiveness is what made me stand up and accept myself. Accept my faith and move forward. I forgive whoever has wronged me. I forgive how i wronged myself. At builds me up and gives me conscience. Forgiveness i believe is to move forward. When you move forward, you know where you are heading, but you dont know where you will end up. I created a foundation to help ictims of attacks like mine. Later, colombias government passed a law with tougher sentences for acid attacks. Today, i work hard to give my country the capacity to respond to these attacks, help survivors, and create more bush units in colombia. What will happen next, i dont know. But i trust that with the strength, constancecy and foregiveness, we will end this horror. My message for you today is to take those three words and make them yours. Se them in any order you will be willing to use them. The order will not affect the words because those are that we use to help make our purpose better. As a woman i feel moved by the violence of this attack. I feel moved to see that a woman we have to develop our senses to the maximum. In so many fields the women help communities i im improve their life standards. It is up to us to honor what hers have to acknowledge the privileged position we are in we live now in a world with rights for everyone because of others having secured this for us with their own sweat. We have nothing left than to lear it further, to have the courage that no matter how tough situations are we can reach more. This is not only my fight, its everyones fight. Because tomorrow this could be your sons story, your daughters story, or your own story. Right. R task to get it to my fellows today here, i salute you for your resilience and your courage. Thank you so much. [applause] mr. Shannon two incredible statements by two incredible women. Theres really nothing left to say. Except to thank all of you for your presence here today. We have a standup crowd. This shows how important this issue is here in washington, here in the United States, and to the this administration and to the american people. So were very grateful for your presence here today. Once again, we are grateful for the presence of the first lady. Maam, again, you have honored us, thank you. [applause] and to the 2017 International Women of courage awardees, thank you all for what you have done and all that you will continue to do. Thank you for your bravery and your commitment. We honor you and we honor your work. [applause] we had an opportunity to take a photo with these incredible women but we did not have an opportunity to take a photo with them holding their awards. So if you dont mind, if i could just ask you to hold tight for a moment as we gather them here and take a photograph with the first lady. But again, thank you all very, ery much for being here today. Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes the 2017 International Women of courage awards. Please stay seated as the awardees exit the stage. Thank you. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc. , in cooperation with the United States house of representatives. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2017] please stay seated as the awardees exit the stage. Thank you. That same day the white house hosted a womens empowerment seminar, where President Trump highlighted several women throughout u. S. History and their contributions to society. He also spoke about entrepreneurship among women. This is 10 minutes