American First Lady Jill Biden and US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken presented the International Woman of Courage Award to Moroccan mother Rabha El Haymar at the White House on Monday, along with 11 other women from around the world, for her courage and persistence in vindicating the right to legitimacy of her daughter under a traditional Muslim marriage.
El Haymar is a courageous Moroccan woman who successfully negotiated Morocco’s legal system, fighting for recognition of her traditional marriage under an amended provision of Morocco’s 2004 Family Code to save her daughter a life of marginalization in the country as an undocumented child, according to the White House press release.
Despite potential reputational damage in going public, El Haymar agreed for her story to be told in a documentary by British film-maker Deborah Perkin entitled “Bastards.” Shown on Moroccan national television and film festivals around the world, “Bastards” is raising awareness about the plight of mothers of undocumented children, and Morocco’s family laws allowing women like El Haymar to seek justice.
“I am honored to be recognized by the United States, among formidable women from different walks of life that I had the chance to meet here, in Washington,” El Haymar said upon receiving the award. “As we shared our stories and learned from our experiences, we found out that the common thread in our respective endeavors is indeed courage, coupled with resilience.”
US Ambassador Puneet Talwar to Rabat who attended the awards said, “Rabha is an amazing, determined, and courageous woman. Her award is well deserved. She is an inspiration to so many as Morocco, under King Mohammed VI’s leadership, achieves more justice and equality for Moroccans, including women and children.”
Since 2007, the Secretary of State’s IWOC Award has recognized more than 190 women from over 90 countries for their 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, often at great personal risk and sacrifice.