Conversion case Indira Gandhi nominated for prestigious US award

PETALING JAYA: M. Indira Gandhi, who challenged the unilateral conversion of her three children to Islam by her ex-husband, has been nominated for a prestigious US award.

She was the US Embassy in Malaysia’s nominee for the US State Department’s International Women of Courage (IWOC) award this year.

According to a statement by the US Embassy in Malaysia, US Ambassador to Malaysia, Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, will hold a reception at her residence on Wednesday (March 28) to honour Indira on her nomination as Malaysia’s candidate for the award.

It is also on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2018 and Women’s History Month, which is celebrated in the month of March in the US.

According to the website of the US State Department (which plays the role of a Foreign Ministry), the IWOC Award recognises women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment, often at great personal risk and sacrifice.

It is now in its 12th year, and has recognised more than 120 women from more than 65 different countries.

“US diplomatic missions overseas nominate one woman of courage from their respective host countries. The finalists are selected and approved by senior State Department officials,” the site explained.

On Friday (March 23), department spokesperson Heather Nauert hosted the annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards at the US State Department to honor 10 extraordinary women from around the world.

They include Sirikan Charoensiri of Thailand, who co-founded Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), which provides free legal services in human rights cases and to document human rights issues under the military government.

Another one of the 10 was Dr. Feride Rushiti of Kosovo, founder and executive director of the Kosovo Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Victims.

First Lady of the United States Melania Trump also spoke at the ceremony in Washington DC.

Former Bar Council president and Bersih activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan was one of the winners of the award in 2009.