International Women’s Day Honorees Visit HHS

	March 13, 2008 – From left to right: Farhiyo Farah Ibrahim (Somalia), Eaman Al-Gobory (Iraq), Wanda Jones, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (HHS), and Begum Jan, M.D. (Pakistan).
	March 13, 2008 – Wanda Jones, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (HHS), meets with three of the honorees of Secretary Rice’s Second Annual Award for International Women of Courage.

March 13, 2008 – In celebration of International Women’s Day, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice presented the Second Annual Award for International Women of Courage to eight women from around the world.  These extraordinary women come from Somalia, Paraguay, Pakistan, Kosovo, Fiji, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Palestinian Authority.  The U.S. Department of State selected them for their work in transforming their societies by tackling such issues as ending human trafficking; fighting HIV/AIDS; combating female genital mutilation; standing against political corruption; and guaranteeing women's access to justice.

Today, Dr. Wanda Jones, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Women’s Health hosted three of the recipients at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., for a lively discussion of health issues in their countries and in the United States.  The three were Farhiyo Farah Ibrahim from Somalia, Eaman Al-Gobory from Iraq, and Dr. Begum Jan from Pakistan.  Marta Brenden from HHS’ Office of Refugee Resettlement also participated in the discussions around refugee services in the United States, and the linkages for refugees back to the home countries

For more information:

• Remarks at International Women of Courage Award Ceremony (U.S. Department of State)

Last revised: March 20, 2008