Yoani Sánchez Named “Woman of Courage”

Secretary Clinton to Host the 2011 International Women of Courage Awards With Special Guest First Lady Michelle Obama on March 8

Notice to the Press

Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
March 4, 2011

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will host the 2011 International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony with special guest First Lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday, March 8. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer and other U.S. and foreign dignitaries will also participate. The event will be held at approximately 11:00 a.m. in the Dean Acheson Auditorium of the U.S. Department of State.

The prestigious Secretary of State’s Award for International Women of Courage annually recognizes women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women’s rights and empowerment, often at great personal risk.

Since the inception of this award in 2007, the Department of State has honored 38 women from 27 different countries. This is the only Department of State award that pays tribute to women activists worldwide.

The names of this year’s honorees follow and full biographies and photos are available below:

  • Her Excellency, 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);
  • The Honorable 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);
  • Ghulam Sughra, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Marvi Rural Development Organization, (Pakistan)

Date: 03/04/2011 Description: Yoani Sanchez of Cuba, Innovator and Blogger, Founder of Generación Y blog  - State Dept ImageYoani Sanchez of Cuba – Unable to attend the ceremony
Innovator and Blogger, Founder of Generación Y blog
Blogger, technological innovator, and emerging civil society leader Yoani Sanchez has attracted an international following for her blog, Generacíon Y, which gives readers unprecedented insight into life in Cuba. She has worked to improve the ability of ordinary Cubans to access and disseminate information, and to expand information flow and free expression throughout Cuba. She has been credited as the “founder” of the independent Cuban blogosphere. Her work has expanded beyond blogging to training and advising dozens of newcomers to the blogosphere, providing a voice for young Cubans and for established civil society leaders.
Languages Spoken: Spanish
Age: 35