UNI

Bangalore, Mar 14: Senior Congress parliamentarian Margaret Alva will be honoured on Wednesday in Washington, along with two other women from China and Guatemala, by Vital Voices Global International, a Washington-based non-governmental organisation for women, sponsored by the Cinton Foundation.

Alva would be conferred with the international leadership award in recognition of her work for the empowerment of women at the grassroots level.

According to a release here, Alva, during her week-long stay in the US, was expected to take part in a number of activities in Washington DC and New York, which included high level meetings with the US government officials and public forums at the World Bank, besides a reception hosted in her honour by the Indian ambassador to the US.

Alva was also the recipient of the first Nelson Mandela award for Minority Empowerment, an honour given to individuals and organisations in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the promotion of minority affairs.

She was also one of the five Indians recognised at a public function by South African president Thabo Mbeki during his visit to India for her support to anti-apartheid and freedom struggle of the African National Congress.