KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 13 — Women and men must work together to promote women’s rights, said Rohingya activist Sharifah Shakirah Husain who was nominated as Malaysia’s candidate for the US Department of State’s International Women of Courage award.

The founder of the Rohingya Women Development Network (RWDN) said though her social work mostly deals with women, she said she does not exclude working with men in achieving her aspirations.

“Our organisation is the first in Malaysia to focus on empowering the women Rohingya refugees, here. We help to give them a voice of their own.

“Though our focus is on women empowerment, we have both men and women working together to bring the community closer.

“To champion the women’s rights, we cannot clap with one hand, so we need to work with men as well,” said Sharifah, who had founded the organisation in 2016.

The 25-year-old, who speaks five different languages, said she was a genocide survivor as she fled from Myanmar to Malaysia when she was five.

“The issue has been ongoing for many years and I had to flee the country because of that problem.

“As a Rohingya genocide survivor, it is an honour to receive this recognition, and this is not for myself but for the whole community,” she said when met with the press here today.

US Ambassador Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, who was present at the press meet, said Sharifah was recognised for the works she had done for the Rohingya women community in the country at a very young age.

“We had met her and seen her work with women and children refugee. She had come her at five-years-old and made a dangerous journey.

“While in the face of not getting an education then, she had educated herself and speaks five languages.

“We are impressed with what she had done at only 25 and are pleased to nominate her,” she said.

Sharifah was honoured at a reception today, held in conjunction with the International Women of Courage Day, International Women’s Day 2018 and Women’s History Month, at Kamala’s official residence here.

Previous recipients of the International Women of Courage award include Datuk S. Ambiga and social activist Nisha Ayub.