Vital Voices Gala!

Wednesday night, we headed to the Eisenhower Theatre at the Kennedy Center for the Vital Voices' 16th annual Global Leadership Awards Gala, with some of the most powerful women in the world in attendance.

Photo credit: Courtesy: Todd Rafalovich

We snapped the Global Trailblazer honoree, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan with former first lady, senator and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. The event coincided with International Women's Day as well as the 20th anniversary of Vital Voices, which Clinton helped found.

The annual gala honors women who are engaged in the most urgent issues of our time. Here, the Punjab Government Pakistan Strategic Reforms Unit's Hafsah Lak joins Ossia-Japan managing director Rasha Qamheyeh with Human Rights Award honoree Nadia Bushnaq and psychologist Susan Jarrett. Bushnaq is the founder of the Family Guidance and Awareness Center, catering to women and refugees in Jordan.

Photo credit: Courtesy: Todd Rafalovich

The evening started with the formal awards program highlighting the achievements of the five honorees. Here, presenters actress Kate Bosworth and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg.

Photo credit: Travis Holler

Following the program, guests headed upstairs to the Nations Gallery and Foyer for the post-awards reception. Here, UPS' Fatimah Alsagoff, Petra Bratova and Leslie Griffin surround Leadership in Public Life honoree Chief Theresa Kachindamoto of Malawi. As the senior chief of the Dedza District in Malawi, Kachindamoto represents over 900,000 people, and has led the efforts in abolishing and annulling child marriages.

Photo credit: Travis Holler

Girl Rising India's Vaibhav Jain with Light of Freedom honoree Elsamarie D'Silva and political activist Parag Mehta. D'Silva co-founded Safecity, a platform in India that crowdmaps sexual violence and harassment, leading to better policing efforts.

Photo credit: Travis Holler

Malawi journalist Chisomo Ngulube joins Women's Leadership Footprint in Malawi's Tamala Chirwa, Straight from the Heart Radio journalist in Liberia Agnes Mam Fallah Kamari, Sierra Leone human rights advocate Hadiatou Diallo, Save The Children's Jana Spacek and GW Elliott School's Roman Tirado.

Attia Nasar joins former Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Ann Stock and Albanian Ambassador Floreta Faber

Photo credit: Travis Holler

Vital Voices' Emily Goodman and Shereen Tewfik bookend Women for Women International's Molly O'Riordan and Coby Jones.

With two Jordanian women as honorees, the Embassy of Jordan was there to celebrate. Here, embassy consul Anas Oran, deputy chief of mission Asal Tal and Ambassador Dina Kawar.

Photo credit: Travis Holler

Actress Joanna Pinto joins her mother, EY adviser and Olympic champion swimmer Donna de Varona with Stroud Communications' Kandie Stroud.

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