ISLAMABAD (APP) - International Republican Institute (IRI) has awarded Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sherry Rehman a title - Democracy's Hero - for her decades-old struggle for the cause of democracy in the country. According to IRI here Tuesday, Sherry Rehman, one of only two women cabinet members in the present government has worked for democracy in Pakistan for decades, enduring personal injuries, threats from extremists and the loss of her close friend and political party leader Benazir Bhutto. As member of parliament representing Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), former journalist and television anchor, Sherry Rehman worked diligently to initiate democratic reforms and was the architect of several bills in support of press freedom and women's empowerment. Rehman worked closely with former Prime Minister Bhutto to campaign for the restoration of democracy in Pakistan. Braving arrests, tear-gassing and confinement by security agencies on several occasions, she helped coordinate party activists around the country and participated in several peaceful protests demanding the end of military rule. Present at Bhutto's assassination, Rehman did not yield in her demands for democratic reforms and intensified efforts to bring about change through the ballot box. In the run-up to the February 2008 parliamentary and provincial elections, as part of IRI's political party work, Ms. Rehman and members of her party worked with IRI to improve PPP's ability to run issue-based campaigns and strengthen party structures. She also became a key member of IRI's public opinion polling steering committee, composed of all major parliamentary political parties to provide political party input on poll questionnaires. As election results brought PPP to power, Sherry Rehman was appointed Minister for Information and Broadcasting where she continues to help solidify democratic gains.