Iranian activist wins 2024 International Women of Courage Award

Iranian women’s rights activist Fariba Balouch will be honored on Monday along with 13 recipients of the annual International Women of Courage Award (IWOC) at the White House in Washington.

On Friday, the State Department announced Baloch was among those honored at a ceremony hosted by First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Now in its 18th year, the Secretary of State’s IWOC Awards recognize women around the world who have demonstrated extraordinary courage, strength and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equity and equality, and the empowerment of women and girls.

Fariba Balouch is an Iranian human rights activist living in London.

In a press release honoring her, the U.S. State Department said: “She is from the Iranian province of Sistan and Balochistan and is a member of Iran’s marginalized Baloch ethnic group. She has been outspoken about the women’s rights and human rights crisis in Sistan and Balochistan. , these crises are disproportionately affected by regime violence, executions, and systemic discrimination.”

“As a result of her activities and in an effort to intimidate her, the Iranian authorities threatened her life and detained her son and brother in Iran. However, Ms. Baloch believed that the only way out was to resist, and she persisted in her activism. Baloch Ms. Baloch continues to advocate for women’s rights in Iran and draw attention to the Iranian regime’s discrimination based on gender, race, and sect,” the State Department said.

The documentary “In This Cage” by VOA Persian correspondent Hojjat Tavakoli chronicles the life of Fariba Baloch. It provides insight into her challenging journey and sheds light on the collective struggles of Sistan and Baluchestan residents, especially women.

Benafsha Yaqoobi from Afghanistan, Rina Gonoi from Japan, Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello from Cuba and Fawzia Karim Firoze from Bangladesh also received the 2024 International Women of Courage Award.

Since March 2007, the U.S. Department of State has awarded IWOC Awards to more than 190 women from 90 countries.

The Madeleine Albright Honorary Group Award was awarded to Iranian women and girls protesters at the 2023 International Women of Courage Awards ceremony on March 8, 2023.