Polish war correspondent and Dzień Dobry TVN reporter Bianka Zalewska has become one of this year's International Women of Courage award laureates. The award is granted by the United States Department of State. Zalewska shared how she had learned about winning the accolade in an interview for "Fakty" TVN correspondent in Washington, D.C., Marcin Wrona.
A media note regarding this year's International Women of Courage award winners was published on Monday afternoon at the United States Department of State website. Bianka Zalewska is to accept the award at the White House on Wednesday (March 8). The accolade is to be handed over by the Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the First Lady Jill Biden.
"Bianka Zalewska is a Polish humanitarian and journalist who has selflessly documented Russian aggression in Ukraine since 2014 and advocated for the people of Ukraine for more than a decade. She persevered through life-threatening injuries suffered when her press car came under fire from Russian proxy forces in Luhansk Oblast in 2014. She persists in the face of disinformation campaigns and online threats personally aimed at her and her family and the risks of violence and injury during her frequent work inside Ukraine," the U.S. Department of State said at its website.
"As a visible advocate for the inclusion of refugees from Ukraine, Mrs. Zalewska advocates as host of one of the most-watched morning shows in Poland while simultaneously compiling the stories of refugees and documenting evidence of war crimes to send to Polish authorities," it was added.
"In the face of ever-present threats, Mrs. Zalewska remains unintimidated and continues to welcome refugees from Ukraine, bring to light Russian atrocities, report truthfully and responsibly from the frontlines, and personally deliver aid inside Ukraine," we read at the website.
Ten other women were also awarded this year, including a famous Ukrainian medic and volunteer worker Yuliia Paievska. Furthermore, this year's Madeleine Albright Honorary Group Award went to the Women and Girl Protestors of Iran.
Zalewska: I was really surprised
Bianka Zalewska told "Fakty" TVN correspondent in Washington, Marcin Wrona how she had learned about winning the accolade.
"I found out over the phone. At first I actually thought it was a joke," she said.
"A woman called, she introduced herself as being with the United States Embassy in Poland and congratulated me on my nomination for the International Women of Courage. I never heard about the award before because no Polish woman had ever won it and so it wasn't that recognizable back home. I started to read about it. And when I read that this group of women - and the nominees are truly couragous and steadfast women who achieved really a lot of things - I was really surprised," Zalewska said.
"To be honest, I couldn't believe it for a very long time," she added.
"I'm a human first, and a journalist second"
Zalewska also spoke about joining her journalistic work with humanitarian efforts.
"I've been always saying that I'm a human first, and a journalist second, or a lawyer, or anyone else. When I see a person bleeding out in front of me ... I can't not help them. This is a dying human, who looks at you, misses an arm or a leg, you simply cannot refuse to help," she said.
"From the very start it was something more than journalistic work, because in reality you're in a place where you see life and death, good and evil. Out there, there's hardly anything in-between. There's only black and white out there and nothing is sugar-coated," Zalewska added.
International Women of Courage award
The Department of State said at its website that "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".
"Since March 2007, the Department of State has recognized more than 180 women from more than 80 countries with the IWOC Award. U.S. diplomatic missions overseas nominate one woman of courage from their respective host countries and finalists are selected and approved by senior Department officials," we read.
Furthermore, "the awardees will participate in an in-person International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) exchange to connect with American counterparts in cities across the United States and strengthen their global networks of women leaders".
Previous laureates
In the past the award was granted to many female activists involved in fight for human rights.
A Belarusian opposition activist and political prisoner Maria Kalesnikava was among the laureates in 2021.
In May 2020, Kalesnikava had become the head of Viktar Babaryka's presidential campaign, who was Alexander Lukashenko’s greatest independent competitor at the 2020 Belarusian presidential election. After Babaryka was denied registration as candidate and sentenced for 14 years in prison, Kalesnikava created an alliance with Veronika Tsepkalo and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, with the former being their presidential candidate. By mid-August Tikhanovskaya and Tsepkalo were forced by authorities to leave the country, while Kalesnikova was arrested the following month. In 2021, she was sentenced to 11 years behind bars for "conspiracy to seize state power in an unconstitutional manner" and "establishing and leading an extremist organization". Kalesnikova is serving her sentence in penal colony no. 4 in Gomel.
A Brazilian human rights activist Simone Sibilio do Nascimento was among the prize recipients in 2022.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, state.gov