LAH resident attends Women of Courage event in Washington, D.C.
Los Altos Hills resident Merry Lee Eilers attended the 2012 International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony March 8 in Washington, D.C.
Eilers, who served as hostess for Women of Courage honorees from Pakistan and Afghanistan, was part of a select group of attendees, led by First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Eilers lived in Pakistan for five years, experiencing firsthand the struggles Pakistani women encountered as they tried to initiate change. She is a member of American Women for International Understanding, a nonprofit organization that recognizes courageous women who make a difference in their countries, often in the face of threatening, male-dominated cultures. Each Woman of Courage honoree receives $1,000 in recognition of her efforts.
Among the honorees hosted by Eilers was Shad Begum of Pakistan, founder of the Union of Women’s Welfare, which provides microcredit, education and health services for women.
For more information, visit www.awiu.org.
