2nd Lieutenant Nilofar Rahmani, 21, the 1st Afghan female pilot in the history of Afghanistan, has been selected to receive the International Women of Courage Award 2015.
2nd Lieutenant Nilofar Rahmani was trained by American Air Force instructors and received her certificate after graduating from Shindand Air Base in 2013.
Rahmani said that she wanted to fly with her brothers in the air force of Afghanistan, serve the country and be an example for other Afghan females to follow her.
The award is scheduled to be presented to Nilofar Rahmany by the American 1st lady, Michelle Obama. Eight other females from around the world are also selected for this award who have shown an exceptional courage as gender equality.
The other female who are selected for this award are:
Beatrice Epaye from CAR
Majid Ghourbaji from Syria
Nadia Sharmin from Bangladesh
Rosa Julieta Montano Salvatierra from Bolivia
May Sabe Phyu from Burma
Marie Claire Tchecola from Guinea,
Sayaka Osakabe from Japan
Arbana Xharra from Kosovo
The event is organized every year and from 2007 up to now 85 women from 50 countries have received the International Women of Courage Award.



Nilofar Rahmani is courageous but she is not the first woman pilot in Afghanistan.
Latifa Nabizada and Lailuma Nabizada graduated from helicopter pilot school in 1991.
Sourya Saleh and Masooma Hussaini were trained as helicopter pilots in 2012.
Nilofar Rahmani is the first female pilot of FIXED WING aircraft in modern Afghan history.