Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner Massa Washington was on Thursday, May 30, 2009 among notable women awarded the 2009 "International Women's Leadership Award" by the US based Women's Campaign International (WCI), at a colorful ceremony in Philadelphia, the State of Pennsylvania.
During WCI's first annual "Night of Global Exchange" at the University of Pennsylvania's Hall of Flag, WCI President Majorie Margolies recognized the exemplified leadership of the honorees in the fields of politics, economics, entertainment, academia, journalism and human rights, saying, "these women have moved and inspired us all to continue achieving our goals for ourselves and for future generations of women."
She said their dedication to equal opportunity and women's leadership is exemplary and urged the honorees to continue to serve the ever-growing pool of women leaders who harvest the vast potential and unique ability to change the world.
Presenting the award to Commissioner Washington, who also served as the event's keynote speaker, the WCI President praised her for her hard work and dedication to improving the lives of Liberian women and her commitment to ensuring that women issues are prioritized at the TRC.
She expressed satisfaction on behalf of her organization for the manner in which Commissioner Washington has handled projects with the WCI and partnership and praised her efficiency which she stated is needed in post-war Liberia. Madame Margolies said the TRC Commissioner is among new leaders making a difference globally.
Other recipients of the award were Tamala Edwards, television anchor for WPVI-TV Channel 6 Action News; Honorable LeAnna Washington, Pennsylvania State Senator; Honorable Rosita Youngblood, Pennsylvania State Representative and Julia Brooks, Community Activist.
They were honored in recognition of their work to promote equity for all women and girls, lifelong education and positive social change.
Women's Campaign International is a Philadelphia-based, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing the participation of women in political and democratic processes worldwide. WCI's mission is to increase the number of female elected officials throughout the world, ensure their effectiveness once elected and build the capacity of local organizations working on women's issues. WCI has supported the work of the TRC through funding for its Gender Department with Commissioner Washington as its oversight.
