The US Department of State announced that Benafsha Yaqoobi, a former member of the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission, and 11 other women were the winners of the "Women of Courage" award for 2024.
The award will be presented next Tuesday in a ceremony attended by First Lady Jill Biden and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The US Department of State announced on Friday that Yaqoobi, who is visually impaired, has worked for years as an advocate for women facing violence and, in 2007, co-founded the "Rahyab Organisation" with her husband to educate and empower visually impaired individuals in Afghanistan.
The statement from the US Department of State mentioned that Yaqoobi has consistently advocated for the differently abled and provided educational opportunities for visually impaired and blind children. According to the statement, Yaqoobi is currently in exile and continues to advocate for the rights of the disabled, blind children, and Afghan girls.
According to the US Department of State announcement, along with Yaqoobi, 11 other women and a group from around the world have also been recognised with this award.
Among them, Fariba Baluch, a human rights activist from Iran, has also been awarded.
The US Department of State's International Women of Courage Award has been presented annually since 2017 to women who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and the empowerment of women and girls.
Last year, Zakera Hekmat, an Afghan doctor and refugee advocate, was the recipient of this award.
