Expatriates choose five Czech women with world importance

Prague, Sept 25 (CTK) - Five Czech women whose importance has crossed the border were presented with the Significant Czech Woman in the World award granted by the International Coordination Committee of Expatriate Czechs, headed by figure skater Aja Vrzanova, in the Senate Tuesday.

The committee cooperates in appreciating the significant women with the Senate expatriates commission.

This year's winners are human rights fighter Olga Hruba, exile activists Libuse Paukertova-Leharova and Jiriha Silhanova, linguist Marie Majtanova, and model and charity foundation founder Tereza Maxova.

The award was introduced in 2003, but its winners are not chosen every year. This year it has been granted for the fifth time and for the first time within the Day of Czech Statehood celebrations.

That is why some winners from the previous years arrived in Prague for toady's ceremony. They include tennis player Hana Kozeluhova, Cancer League founder Eva Siracka, Stonozka (Centipede) humanitarian movement founder Bela Jensen and Mathilda Nostizova, who has long been helping people with impaired vision.

The main prize is a bronze statue symbolising the woman-mother being born out from an egg. Its author is Czech-Canadian sculptor Lea Vivot.

The award winners were also presented with a gold brooch with a Czech garnet.