US honours Bangladeshi lawyer Fawzia with International Women of Courage Award
The United States has bestowed the 2024 International Women of Courage Award upon Fawzia Karim Firoze, a distinguished Supreme Court lawyer from Bangladesh.
The annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards ceremony, hosted by US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken and First Lady Jill Biden, took place at the White House on Monday.
Fawzia joins a remarkable group of women from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage and commitment to advancing the rights of women and marginalized communities.
Among the awardees are Benafsha Yaqoobi (Afghanistan), Volha Harbunova (Belarus), Ajna Jusić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Myintzu Win (Myanmar), Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello (Cuba), Fátima Corozo (Ecuador), Fatou Baldeh (The Gambia), Fariba Balouch (Iran), Rina Gonoi (Japan), Rabha El Haymar (Morocco), and Agather Atuhaire (Uganda).
During the ceremony, Secretary Blinken affirmed the United States' support for every woman of courage striving to foster greater stability, equality, and opportunity. Fawzia Karim Firoze, recognized for her more than three decades of advocacy for the rights of marginalized groups, currently serves as the head of her own law chamber and chairs the Foundation for Law and Development (FLAD).
Notably, Fawzia has personally initiated around 3,000 cases on behalf of garment workers against their employers and played a pivotal role in establishing the Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers Union Federation (BIGUF) and the Domestic Workers Guidelines. Her impactful contributions extend to her past role as the president of the Bangladesh Women Lawyers Association from 2007-2018 and her position as a founding trustee of the Acid Survivors Trust, underlining her enduring commitment to social justice and women's rights.
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