An Afghan human rights activist has won the International Women of Courage Award of the US State Department.
The Department of State said in a statement Benafsha Yaqoobi and 11 other women had won the International Women of Courage Awards of 2024.
Benafsha Yaqoobi has served as a member of the Independent Human Rights Commission (IHRC) under the previous government.
The awards were given to winners for their courage, advocating for human rights and working for peace by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. First Lady Jill Biden was also present.
Other winners for the 2024 award were from Bangladesh, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Burma, Cuba, Ecuador, Gambia, Iran, Japan, Morocco and Uganda.
Benafsha Yaqoobi, who is visually impaired, worked for years as an attorney defending the rights of women who faced violence.
She founded the Rahyab Organisation in 2008 with her husband for the education and rehabilitation of visually-impaired people in Afghanistan.
Additionally, the activist also hosted a daily live television show to raise awareness about disability rights.
Benafsha later served as a member of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, where she focused on educating blind children.
Dr. Zakira Hikmat, immigrant rights activist had won the International Women of Courage Award for 2023.
The US government has been giving the award since March 2007. So far, 190 women from 90 countries have won the International Women of Courage Awards.
aw/mud
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