Ten extraordinary women from around the world were honoured with the US Secretary of State’s ‘International Women of Courage’ ( IWOC ) award at the US State Department recently.
Sri Lankan Marini de Livera was among the 10. The others were from Bangladesh, Burma, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Montenegro, Peru, Tanzania and Ireland.
The IWOC award honours women who have demonstrated extraordinary courage and leadership in advocating for social justice, human rights, gender equality and the advancement of women and girls. Since its inception in 2007, over 120 women from 65 countries have been honoured with the award.
The First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump was the Chief Guest.
Marini de Livera, who champions the causes of women and child victims of crime, promotes alternative care for children trapped in orphanages and innovative use of visual arts and street theatre to promote legal literacy, is the former Chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority and a member of the Steering Committee on the Rehabilitation of Child Soldiers, the Prisons’ Reforms Committee, and the National Committee on Women. She also chaired the committee that drafted the amendments to the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act and worked as a Human Rights Trainer.
Charge d’Affaires of the Sri Lankan Embassy, Washington DC, Sarath Dissanayake participated in the felicitation ceremony together with members of the Diplomatic Corps.