[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 34 (Tuesday, March 8, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H1595-H1597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Wisconsin (Ms. Moore) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MOORE. I rise today as the Democratic cochair of the Women's 
Caucus to celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.
  Mr. Speaker, I'm so pleased to join millions in our Nation and around 
the world in commemorating this International Women's Day. We celebrate 
courageous women in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, and 
elsewhere, who continue to fight the good fight at great risk to their 
own lives in the face of being ostracized and persecuted by their 
families and communities, for women's abilities to be included in the 
societies in which they live.
  We celebrate tremendous women here at home in the United States who 
have done much to advance the ability of women to work, to vote, to go 
to school, and to run for and hold elective office. As a woman who is 
able to serve in Congress today, I know that I stand on the shoulders 
of these women giants who have sacrificed so much in the past.
  But we must also recognize that much needs to be done right here in 
the United States. In our country, women make only 77 percent of the 
paycheck that a male would make doing the same job. We know that even 
after 100 years it is too soon to declare: Mission accomplished.
  Recent news reports in Afghanistan show efforts in Afghanistan to 
pass legislation that would shut down domestic violence shelters. 
Turning our attention closer to home, in Haiti, we find that after the 
devastating earthquake, UNICEF has found that the rapes in Haiti are at 
an all time high. But we've also been fixated in recent weeks by the 
protests and push for democracy sweeping the Middle East. And women 
have been leading the charge.
  We must also acknowledge the shameful plight of hundreds of thousands 
of mothers-to-be around the globe who die because of pregnancy or 
child-related complications. It's shameful that the simple act of 
childbirth remains a death sentence for hundreds of thousands of women 
and girls around the world.

                              {time}  1420

  We must recommit ourselves to the Millennium Development Goal to 
reduce dying from pregnancy or childbirth.
  Last, I had the honor of attending the State Department's Women of 
Courage ceremony to honor 10 women.
  They were:
  Maria Bashir, a prosecutor general in Afghanistan. She handles cases 
on behalf of women victims of domestic abuse.
  Nasta Palazhanka, who at age 20 has led peaceful protests and called 
attention to the plight of families of political prisoners.
  Henriette Ekwe Ebongo from Cameroon, a political activist and 
publisher of Bebela, she spent a lifetime advancing press freedom, 
human rights, good governance, and gender equality.
  From China, Guo Jianmei, a lawyer. Founder of the Women's Law Center 
at Peking University, she helped to create a corps of lawyers to defend 
public interest cases, especially affecting women and other vulnerable 
groups.
  From Cuba, Yoani Sanchez. She has an international following for her 
blog to provide insight into life in Cuba and to expand information 
flow and free expression throughout Cuba.
  Agnes Osztolykan, elected to the Hungarian Parliament in 2010, the 
only female Roma Member of Parliament in Hungary.
  From Jordan, Eva Abu Halaweh has dedicated her career to advocating 
for

[[Page H1596]]

the vulnerable people of Jordan, including women at risk of becoming 
victims of so-called ``honor crimes.''
  From Kyrgyzstan, we have Roza Otunbayeva, who emerged as central 
Asia's first female head of state and head of government in a 
traditional, majority Muslim country.
  From Mexico, the first woman ever appointed to the position of 
Assistant Attorney General, Marisela Morales Ibanez, a leader in 
bringing to justice some of Mexico's most dangerous and notorious 
criminals.
  Last but certainly not least, from Pakistan, Ghulam Sughra has become 
her village's first female high school graduate and the first teacher 
at the first school for girls.
  Thank you so much for these women and thanks for International 
Women's Day.

 [From the Department of State, United States of America, Mar. 8, 2011]

          2011 International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony

             100th Anniversary of International Women's Day

     THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE AWARDS

       On the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, 
     Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State will present the 
     fifth annual International Women of Courage Awards to ten 
     women from around the world. This is the only award within 
     the U.S. Department of State that pays tribute to outstanding 
     women leaders worldwide. It recognizes their courage and 
     leadership as they fight for social justice, human rights, 
     and the advancement of women.
       Today, The Secretary of State will pay tribute to this 
     year's ten honorees from Afghanistan, Belarus, Cameroon, 
     China, Cuba, Hungary, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, and 
     Pakistan. They were chosen from among eighty-seven 
     exceptional women nominated by U.S. Embassies worldwide for 
     their extraordinary work in advancing human rights.

          2011 International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony


                               HOSTED BY

                         Hillary Rodham Clinton

                           Secretary of State

                         Tuesday, March 8, 2011

                               11:00 a.m.

              Dean Acheson Auditorium--Department of State


                           WITH SPECIAL GUEST

                       First Lady Michelle Obama


                          PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

        The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State

          Mrs. Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States

                     The Honorable Melanne Verveer,
             Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues

     The Honorable Julia Gillard, M.P., Prime Minister of Australia

         Mr. Lloyd Blankfein, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs


                            AWARD RECIPIENTS

                     Ms. Maria Bashir, Afghanistan

                     Ms. Nasta Palazhanka, Belarus*

                  Ms. Henriette Ekwe Ebongo, Cameroon

                         Ms. Jianmei Guo, China

                        Ms. Yoani Sanchez, Cuba*

                The Honorable Agnes Osztolykan, Hungary

                      Ms. Eva Abu Halaweh, Jordan

    Her Excellency Roza Otunbayeva, President of the Kyrgyz Republic

                  Ms. Marisela Morales Ibanez, Mexico

                      Ms. Ghulam Sughra, Pakistan

                   *Unable to attend awards ceremony

                              Maria Bashir


                              AFGHANISTAN

       Maria Bashir is Prosecutor General of the Attorney 
     General's Office in Herat province, Afghanistan, the only 
     woman to ever hold such a position in Afghan history. She 
     handles cases on behalf of women victims of domestic abuse. 
     Her work on behalf of victims of-self-immolation and her 
     unparalleled efforts to jail abusive husbands has put her own 
     life at risk, yet she perseveres to make Herat a more just 
     and safe place and remains steadfast in her commitment to the 
     future of Afghanistan.

                            Nasta Palazhanka


                                BELARUS

       Nasta Palazhanka joined the opposition youth movement in 
     Belarus at the age of 14. Now 21, she is a key figure in the 
     opposition youth organization ``Malady Front'' (Young Front). 
     Ms. Palazhanka has led peaceful protests an called attention 
     to the plight of the families of political prisoners. She was 
     at the heart of the ``tent camp'' set up in downtown Minsk to 
     demonstrate against the fraudulent results of the 2006 
     presidential polls, and she has selflessly worked on behalf 
     of charitable causes to improve the human rights situation in 
     her country.

                         Henriette Ekwe Ebongo


                                cameroon

       Regarded as one of the most influential journalists in 
     Cameroon, Henriette Ekwe Ebongo, political activist and 
     publisher of Bebela, has spent a lifetime advancing press 
     freedom, human rights, good governance, and gender equality. 
     The publisher of Bebela, a weekly independent newspaper, she 
     was instrumental in the founding of a freer and more 
     independent media in Cameroon. Despite constant persecution 
     over 30 years, ``la Maman'' (as her fellow journalists call 
     her) continues to be committed to fight ``until things move 
     in the right direction.''

                              Guo Jianmei


                                 CHINA

       Born in an impoverished area of China, Guo Jianmei has 
     become the country's best-known female lawyer. Founder of the 
     Women's Law Center at Peking University, Ms. Guo helped 
     create a corps of lawyers to defend public interest cases, 
     especially in areas affecting women, migrants, and other 
     vulnerable groups. When Peking University appeared to bow to 
     official pressure, and closed her center, Ms. Guo responded 
     by establishing her own law firm. The memory of the plight of 
     the women in her village drives her to continue to fight to 
     improve the lives of the underprivileged.

                             Yoani Sanchez


                                  CUBA

       Blogger, technological innovator, and emerging civil 
     society leader Yoani Sanchez has attracted an international 
     following for her blog, Generacion Y, which gives readers 
     unprecedented insight into life in Cuba. She has worked to 
     improve the ability of ordinary Cubans to access and 
     disseminate information, and to expand information flow and 
     free expression throughout Cuba. In 2009, Sanchez was 
     detained and roughed up by Cuban state security agents. She 
     lives with daily fear that she could be jailed and accepts 
     that she will always pay a price for her work as long as the 
     current governmental system continues.

                            Agnes Osztolykan


                                HUNGARY

       Defying the odds, Agnes Osztolykan was elected to Hungarian 
     Parliament in 2010, and is the only female Roma Member of 
     Parliament (MP) in Hungary. Ms. Osztolykan speaks out for 
     Roma people in the face of open hostility, fearlessly 
     advocating for the equal rights and inclusion of Roma in 
     Hungarian society. As deputy chair of the Education 
     Committee, she contributes to Hungary's new education 
     regulations, ensuring that Roma inclusion remains a priority 
     of government programming. Ms. Osztolykan is also a strong 
     promoter of civil society in Hungary, who tirelessly pushes 
     for better education and opportunities for children.

                            Eva Abu Halaweh


                                 JORDAN

       Eva Abu Halaweh has dedicated her career to advocating for 
     the vulnerable people of Jordan, including women at risk of 
     becoming victims of so-called ``honor crimes.'' As Executive 
     Director of the Mizan Law Group for Human Rights, Ms. Halaweh 
     has developed a legal team that provides free legal advice 
     and counseling, often the only option for those seeking 
     justice or a remedy to their plight. Ms. Halaweh's work has 
     influenced the government's actions to prevent torture and 
     prosecute such violations and her advocacy opposing the 
     government's use of administrative detention to ``protect'' 
     women at risk of so-called ``honor crimes'' has changed the 
     lives of many.

                            Roza Otunbayeva


                               KYRGYZSTAN

       Stepping forward as a leader in the second effort of her 
     country to shed authoritarian rule, Roza Otunbayeva emerged 
     as Central Asia's first female head of state and head of 
     government in a traditional, majority Muslim country. In the 
     face of a collapsing, corrupt government and economic 
     stagnation, President Otunbayeva succeeded in binding 
     together a fractious opposition into a provisional government 
     structure able to check the struggles for power from stirring 
     up wider divisions in society. She has defied the 
     expectations of the international community in building the 
     first functioning democracy in Central Asia.

[[Page H1597]]

                        Marisela Morales Ibanez


                                 MEXICO

       The first woman ever appointed to the position of Assistant 
     Attorney General for Specialized Investigation of Organized 
     Crime (SIEDO) in 2008, Marisela Morales has been a leader in 
     bringing to justice some of Mexico's most dangerous and 
     notorious criminals. Her fearless efforts to stand up against 
     corruption have generated confidence in SIEDO among the 
     public at large. Under Ms. Morales' leadership, SIEDO has 
     succeeded in coordinating efforts with the Secretariat of 
     Defense, the Secretariat of the Navy, the Secretariat of 
     Public Security, and the Secretariat of Governance, as well 
     as with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, and the embassies of 
     other governments. Ms. Morales has been instrumental in 
     creating the first Federal Witness Protection Program in 
     Mexico. With her guidance and support, SIEDO indicted the 
     first federal trafficking in persons case. With her 
     oversight, SIEDO and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security 
     have cooperated to reunify children of trafficking victims 
     with their mothers in the United States.

                             Ghulam Sughra


                                PAKISTAN

       Born in rural Sindh Province, Ghulam Sughra became her 
     village's first female high school graduate and the first 
     teacher at the first school for girls. Despite being 
     challenged by villagers who refused to enroll their daughters 
     in school, she initiated a public awareness campaign. She 
     came to realize that economically empowered women would have 
     more authority to allow their daughters to attend school so 
     she focused on ways that would enable local women to develop 
     their own sources of income. Her efforts led to the creation 
     of the Marvi Rural Development Organization (MRDO), an NGO 
     focused on creating community savings funds and raising 
     awareness of education, health and social development issues.

                          ____________________