3 Trans Women Whose Global Activism You Should Know
Celebrating LGBTQI+ recipients of the Women of Courage Award
Today is International Women’s Day, celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. Starting in 2007, the U.S. Department of State launched the Women of Courage Award to recognize women “who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equity, and equality, and the empowerment of women and girls, in all their diversity, and more, often at great personal risk and sacrifice.” To date, at least three recipients of the Award have been out members of the LGBTQ+ community — and today, we’re proud to uplift them as women of courage we look up to.
2023 Women of Courage recipient
Having served as Argentina’s Special Envoy for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Worship, Alba is a dedicated campaigner for #LGBTQI+ rights. She was the driving force behind Argentina’s executive order on the transgender labor quota in the public sector; helped start Argentina Trans Women (MTA); and fought for the Marriage Equality Act, the Gender Identity Act, and legislation to protect trans employees. Going forward, she hopes to establish an LGBTQI+ foreign policy agenda and mainstream it into the various negotiation fora.
2022 Women of Courage recipient
Bhumika received State Department recognition in 2022 for her 15 years of activism for the trans community of Nepal. Her efforts were considered an instrumental factor in pushing the Supreme Court of Nepal to legalize third-gender identification on citizenship documents in 2007. Since then, she has advocated for pro-LGBTQI+ policies with the Government of Nepal — notably during the COVID pandemic, which disproportionately burdened already-marginalized populations.
2016 Women of Courage recipient
Founder of community-based Seed NGO and Justice for Sisters (JFS), Nisha has dedicated her life to protecting LGBTQI+ rights, especially for the transgender community. Her legal advocacy, trainings, and counseling are grounded in lived experience: in 2000, she was incarcerated for gender transgressions under Sharia law and subjected to degrading sexual abuse and assault. At the 2016 award ceremony, Secretary of State John Kerry honored her for “extraordinary work to promote societies that are more just, fair, and tolerant regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.” Today, she remains a leading voice for trans people in Southeast Asia.