KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 – Anti-corruption activist Cynthia Gabriel has been nominated by the United States Embassy Kuala Lumpur for the 2022 International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award.
Cynthia, who founded the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center) and was previously a director in human rights group Suaram, was instrumental in the corruption case involving Scorpene submarines that is currently the subject of a judicial investigation in France.
“The IWOC Award honours women who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in acting to improve the lives of others, from families to communities to countries,” said the US Embassy Kuala Lumpur in a statement on its Facebook page today.
“The Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award annually recognises women around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.
“Since the inception of this award in 2007, the State Department has honoured over 100 women from more than 60 different countries.”
Other Malaysian women have previously won the IWOC, such as Susanna Liew in 2020, the wife of pastor Raymond Koh who was allegedly subject to enforced disappearance; Indira Gandhi in 2018, who won a landmark case to end the unilateral religious conversion of children; transgender rights advocate Nisha Ayub in 2016; and former Malaysian Bar president Ambiga Sreenevasan in 2009.
