by Nicole Cheetham, Director, International Division

Amidst what is a disturbingly and increasingly acrimonious political environment for reproductive health and rights, it was a pleasure to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of International Women’s Day at the United States State Department today. For any budding historians, it’s interesting to note that International Women’s Day was first observed in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland following a decision agreed upon in Denmark at the second International Conference of Working Women held in 1910. At this meeting, a woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) proposed that there should be a celebration of women on the same day every year—a Women’s Day—to push for women’s demands around the world. The suggestion was approved unanimously with over 100 women from 17 countries represented from unions, socialist parties, and working women's clubs. 

A trail-blazer herself, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosted today’s commemorative event with special guest First Lady Michelle Obama in order to present the 2011 International Women of Courage Awards. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer and other U.S. and foreign dignitaries also participated. 

The International Women of Courage Awards annually recognize women around the world who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and courage in advocating for women's rights and empowerment—much like Clara Zetkin did back in 1910. Since the first awards were given in 2007, the Department of State has honored 38 women from 27 different countries.

This year’s awardees included 10 amazing women, including two youth activists from Cuba and Belarus who were unfortunately not able to attend because their governments would not let them leave their country. The awardees included: Roza Otunbayeva, President of the Kyrgyz Republic; Maria Bashir, Prosecutor General, Herat Province (Afghanistan); Nasta Palazhanka, Deputy Chairperson, Malady Front (Young Front) non-governmental organization (Belarus); Henriette Ekwe Ebongo, journalist and publisher of Bebela (Cameroon); Guo Jianmei, lawyer and Director of the Beijing Zhongze Women's Legal Counseling and Service Center (China); Yoani Sanchez, Innovator and Blogger, Founder of Generación Y blog (Cuba); Agnes Osztolykan, Member of Parliament, Politics Can Be Different Party (Hungary); Eva Abu Halaweh, Executive Director of Mizan Law Group for Human Rights (Jordan); Marisela Morales Ibañez, Deputy Attorney General for Special Investigations against Organized Crime (Mexico); and Ghulam Sughra, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Marvi Rural Development Organization, (Pakistan).

At today’s ceremony, these remarkable women were honored, receiving the prestigious and well-deserved Women of Courage Award from Secretary Clinton and First-Lady Michelle Obama. Each one of their stories is powerful and exemplifies how one woman can make a difference, no matter what the odds, no matter what the risks. Each of their stories sheds light on leadership, tenacity, courage, compassion, drive, and activism that can lead to social change. They are fighting for freedom of the press, for access to information, for democracy, and for ending corruption. They are fighting for their rights and that of their fellow-women and girls, every day, all over the world, even for what would seem to be the most basic of human rights—to live free from violence, coercion, humiliation, and torture; to participate; to get an education; to make a decent living; to choose when and whom to marry; and to be treated with respect and dignity.

It’s encouraging to see the United States elevating these women’s work and standing with them in solidarity to advance women’s rights globally. At the same time, it is tragic that only a few metro stops away, efforts on Capitol Hill are moving to significantly undermine and compromise women’s rights domestically and globally. Attacks on American women’s right to access safe and legal abortion and reproductive health care services are underway as are proposed cuts to international family planning, the United Nations Population Fund, and a reinstatement of the Mexico City policy, which restricts organizations in developing countries receiving U.S. population funds from using their own private funds for abortion information and services.

If the United States is truly committed to advancing women’s rights and helping our sisters around the world gain access to education, reproductive health, employment, security, participation, information, and democracy, we must hold our own leaders accountable to this high standard. If we are to truly honor the women who received the International Women of Courage Awards today, we must stop voting for those who are out to sabotage progress made to date for women or worse, to take us back to 1911 when International Women’s Day was first founded. We can’t go back, we will not go back, and with women such as those honored today and millions of other advocates around the globe, we can achieve a world where women’s human rights, including their reproductive rights, are upheld, respected and protected without question, without fanfare, and as a matter of due course.