Former hostage Amit Sossana was honored by First Lady Melania Trump at the US State Department’s 19th annual International Women of Courage Awards on Tuesday along with seven other women, ABC news reported.
Sossana, who was held hostage by Hamas for 55 days, was recognized for her decision to speak publicly about her experience, including the sexual violence she endured. According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Sossana’s testimony allowed medical professionals to document the abuse.
Sossana said she was “deeply proud” to receive this award, following the announcement.
“In captivity, I had no control over my body, no control over my life,” Sossana said at the ceremony. “The darkness was suffocating. Yet even in that darkness, one thing they could not take from me was the strength my mother instilled in me – the belief that we must always stand for what is right, no matter the cost.”
Sossana described the recognition as “an honor I never imagined receiving and one I wish I didn’t have to accept under these circumstances,” adding that the moment was long overdue for other Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza.
Recognizing women who ‘demonstrated courage, strength, leadership’
The awards, presented annually by the State Department, recognize women who have “demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls,” according to the department.
“Throughout my life, I have harnessed the power of love as a source of strength during challenging times,” the first lady said. “Love has inspired me to embrace forgiveness, nurture empathy, and exhibit bravery in the face of unforeseen obstacles.”
Sossana’s captivity
Sossana was taken captive from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was held for 55 days.
She is one of eight women from around the world to receive the award. The award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls – often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to the State Department.
Sossana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.
Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council.
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