Zin Mar Aung, who spent 11 years in prison for writing a letter to Burma’s military junta asking it to install the freely elected members of Parliament, said in a talk on Capitol Hill that she’s often asked why she risked fighting for the peace movement in Burma.

She replied that she was a youth leader, and that she had chosen the democracy path with no illusions in terms of what it required. Since she was released from prison in an amnesty, she has promoted the role of women in politics, worked with academic institutions to set up political science courses, and also worked with young people.

A member of the 88-Generation Students group, Zin Mar Aung is the co-founder of a women’s empowerment group and also works on ethnic issues. She was among a group of 88-Generation Students who met with British Foreign Secretary William Hague when he visited Rangoon last month.

She heads up several NGOs to promote her work, and is focused on a democratic future for Burma, a State Department spokesperson said.

The prestigious U.S. award annually recognizes women around the world who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women's rights and empowerment, often at great personal risk. Since the inception of the award in 2007, the Department of State has honored 46 women from 34 different countries.

Following the awards ceremony, the winners will travel to 10 different U.S. cities to engage with their American counterparts through the International Visitor Leadership Program.

According to a State Department statement, Zin Mar Aung works with women ex-political prisoners and teaches civil society activists in Rangoon. She has also worked in the area of promoting democracy and showing how it is compatible with Asian culture, the statement said.