First Lady Melania Trump joined Secretary of State Marco Rubio in hosting the International Women of Courage Award Ceremony, where she discussed love as “a source of strength during challenging times.”
“Love has inspired me to embrace forgiveness, nurture empathy and exhibit bravery in the face of unforeseen obstacles,” she said. “Today, we celebrate courage — a strength that is based in love.”
“This truth is illustrated through our honorees who prove that love can inspire extraordinary valor, even in the face of vulnerability. Their remarkable stories, a testament to the power of love in practice for family, community, and our world,” Trump said.
Despite the women coming from “diverse backgrounds and regions,” the First Lady stated that “love transcends boundaries and territories. It is a universal language. Their courage propels us of humanity forward by advocating to end violence against women and girls, promoting democratic governance, defending human rights, championing education, and fighting injustice.”
“True courage is born from a deep commitment to others,” she added, “showing that love fuels the call for justice.”
According to the State Department, the ceremony “recognizes women from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls, and more, often at great personal risk and sacrifice.”
Award recipients included National Human Rights Commission President Henriette Da, former Hamas hostage Amit Soussana, Papau New Guinea activist Major Velena Iga, marine conservationist Angelique Songco, Romanian disabilities rights activist Georgiana Pascu, South Sudanese women’s rights leader Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit, Sri Lankan journalist Namini Wijedasa, and Yemeni founder and president of the Abductees’ Mothers Association Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj.
