When Amit Soussana stepped forward after 55 days in Hamas captivity to publicly detail her sexual assault, she stood alone.

“I was held captive alone, chained by my ankle with a metal chain, unable to move, and had to ask for permission to use the bathroom,” Soussana testified before the UN. “In that house, I was sexually assaulted by the Hamas terrorist who guarded me. He forced me to go to the shower and entered the room, pointing his gun at me. He was breathing heavily and had a monstrous, beast-like face.”

“I knew exactly what he was planning to do, yet I couldn’t do anything to prevent it. I was utterly helpless. When the assault was over, I wasn’t even allowed to cry or to be sad. I had no one to comfort me and was forced to act nice to the person who had just sexually assaulted me in the most horrifying way.”

Soussana’s brave decision to speak publicly about Hamas’s sexual violence broke a barrier of silence, creating a path for other survivors to come forward with their own accounts. Now her heroism will be honored next Tuesday when Secretary of State Marco Rubio and First Lady Melania Trump host the annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards ceremony in Washington DC.

Now in its 19th year, the Secretary of State’s IWOC Award recognizes women from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls, often at great personal risk and sacrifice. Since 2007, the Department of State has recognized more than 200 women from over 90 countries.

Following the ceremony, Soussana and her fellow eight honorees will participate in the International Visitor Leadership Program, to connect with American counterparts on ways of further empowering women and girls rights globally.