US under secretary Zeya in Nepal, hands over award to Shrestha

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, May 20: US Undersecretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, and Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Uzra Zeya, arrived in Nepal on Friday for a three-day visit.

Officials at Foreign Ministry and officials at the US Embassy in Nepal received Zeya at Tribhuvan International Airport.

During her multi-day visit, Under Secretary Zeya will affirm the United States’ support for Nepal’s commitments to human rights and democracy, the US Embassy stated in its Facebook page.

The visiting US Undersecretary will have special meetings including with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba during her stay in Nepal.

According to the US Embassy, Under Secretary Zeya handed over the Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award to Bhumika Shrestha, a rights activist, amidst a programme in Kathmandu today.

Zeya spoke at the event recognizing Bhumika’s accomplishments and commending her advocacy work for driving human rights and democracy forward, the embassy said.

The IWOC is an annual award given to women who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership to bring about positive change to their communities, often at great personal risk and sacrifice. This is the second year in a row that a Nepali woman has won the award. Last year, Muskan Khatun won for her advocacy against acid attacks.