A Democratic women’s leadership group has named former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords its Woman of the Year.

Emerge Arizona honored Giffords at a ceremony Thursday night at a downtown Phoenix hotel.

The group is part of a 10-state network offering a training program to help qualified Democratic women run for public office.

The 42-year-old Giffords resigned from Congress last year as she continues to recover from injuries suffered in January 2011 during a meet-and-greet with her constituents in Tucson.

Six people died and 13 people were wounded, including Giffords, when a gunman opened fire outside a Tucson supermarket.

Giffords and her husband — former astronaut Mark Kelly — have formed a political action committee that seeks to limit the size of ammunition magazines and expand background checks for gun purchases.