First lady , secretary of state honor champions of women 's rights . Event celebrates State Department Women of Courage Awards . Ambiga Sreenevasan , a Malaysian lawyer who won an award Wednesday for her work on behalf of justice for women , called Clinton `` a woman of courage who has encouraged woman around the world . '' Clinton : Rights of women will `` always be central to our foreign policy '' Obama : `` We are committed to advancing the cause of human rights, and we believe that gender equality is essential for a more peaceful world.
First lady , secretary of state honor champions of women 's rights . Event celebrates State Department Women of Courage Awards . Clinton : Rights of women will `` always be central to our foreign policy '' Obama : `` We are committed to advancing the cause of human rights, and we believe that gender equality is essential for a more peaceful world.