Paramedic Taira receives award of US Department of State
Ukrainian paramedic and volunteer Yuliia "Taira" Paievska is to receive an International Women of Courage Award (IWOC), presented by the US Department of State.
Source: US Department of State
Quote: "Yuliia ‘Taira’ Paievska has demonstrated extraordinary moral and physical courage in defending Ukraine against relentless Russian aggression. She provided medical treatment to Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity protestors in 2013, and as head of Taira’s Angels, a volunteer unit of paramedics, she provided tactical medical training on the Donbas front lines from 2014 to 2018. Mrs. Paievska is best known for her work secretly filming and smuggling out videos documenting atrocities committed by Russia’s forces in Mariupol.
Russia’s forces detained Mrs. Paievska on March 16 as she attempted to evacuate women and children from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, despite her clear non-combatant status. During a three-month imprisonment, Mrs. Paievska lived in a tiny cell with 22 other women, losing 20 pounds and enduring torture and beatings. Moreover, the Kremlin’s propagandists falsely maligned her internationally as a fascist and war criminal. Yet Mrs. Paievska refused to be silenced, and since her release has compellingly advocated for Ukrainian democracy and independence both at home and abroad."
Details: The award ceremony is to take place on Wednesday, 8 March, in the White House. It will be hosted by Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, and Jill Biden, the first lady of the United States.
Apart from Paievska, female representatives of 10 more countries will receive awards – Afghanistan, Argentina, the Central African Republic, Costa-Rica, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia and Poland.
Background: Now in its 17th year, the Secretary of State’s IWOC Award recognizes women from around the globe 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 – often at great personal risk and sacrifice.
US diplomatic missions overseas nominate one woman of courage from their respective host countries and finalists are selected and approved by senior Department officials.
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