First Lady Michelle Obama delivered an address at the 2012 International Women of Courage Awards ceremony at the White House on International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8. Her address celebrated the women who have committed to fighting for a world where everyone is heard, valued, and protected. In her speech, Obama highlighted the work of women who risked their lives for change, including Zin Mar Aung, who was imprisoned for eleven years for writing a letter demanding that the elected civilian government take power in Burma; Shad Begum from Pakistan, who won a district council position but was not treated equally with the men on the council; Colombian investigative journalist Jineth Bedoya Lima, who was kidnapped and assaulted for writing about an arms smuggling network; Şafak Pavey, who traveled the world to bring awareness of the challenges of persons with disabilities; and Pricilla de Oliveira Azevedo, who is one of the few women to rise through the ranks of the Rio de Janeiro military police. The women selected for the award demonstrated sacrificial leadership, courage, and originality. There have been over 180 recipients of the award from about eighty countries since its inception.