I Inspire Leadership Awards celebrate leaders, innovators, thinkers and doers around India working to strengthen women’s voice, increase economic opportunities for women and protect women rights. These are the crusaders who have given it their all to put an end to discrimination and disadvantages millions of women face. These are real life heroes (gender inclusive!) and role models who bring hope along with results at ground reality level.
The message we want to give out is to treasure these people who measure their success as others’ dreams coming true, who walk their talk but not on the beaten path and who don’t do things just because they are part of their KRAs. Be it the corporate world, remote rural areas or AIDS-stricken taboo red light districts, they work towards providing dignity every woman deserves.
These are the people who are going to the change the world!
The Women Rights Award honors a leader who has taken action to protect and restore the rights, safety, and dignity women and girls exploited by gender-based violence, someone who has contributed significantly – often against great odds and at great personal risk – to increase awareness of the injustices women face on account of their gender.
The recipient, Priti Patkar, Social Worker and Human Rights Activist, Co-Founder and Director of Prerana, an organization that has done pioneering work in the red-light districts of Mumbai, India to protect children vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. She has been working for the cause for the past 28 years and is accredited with several path-breaking social interventions. Prerana has to its credit the largest number of legal interventions and writ petitions in the country to protect the rights and dignity of the children and women victims of child sex exploitation and trafficking.
The Social Innovation Award recognizes an innovative leader who finds solutions to expand economic opportunities, relieve poverty, or increase the financial inclusion of marginalized communities.
Wouldn’t it heartening to see a man understanding the pain reserved buy azithromycin pills only for women, even by nature? Something as simple as a sanitary napkin, taken as birthright by most of urban women is a dream accomplished by only 2% fortunate ones among rural women. Arunachalam Muruganantham, the recipient, an Entrepreneur & Inventor, has given women from low income groups in India dignity, by making it possible for them to afford sanitary towels and provide them with income at the same time. From a poor background himself, he created the world’s first low-cost machine to produce sanitary towels. Currently more than 1300 machines made by his start-up company, Jayaashree Industries, are installed across 27 states in India and 7 other countries.
The Young Trailblazer Award recognizes a young pioneer whose vision, contribution, and leadership has broken through barriers, and brought people together to take action that hastens shared progress.
The recipient, Sonal Kapoor, Founder CEO & Creative Director of Protsahan India Foundation is one of the most inspiring young social entrepreneurs of our time. A Microbiologist-MBA who gave up her ‘mainstream’ job, right at 23, she started a youthful and a vibrant social impact organization for sex abused and drug abused street kids, special kids and their mothers. Understanding that rote learning would not make sense to girls from red light areas, she innovated through the creativity of Design & Art, Technology, Cinema and Photography to teach them.
The Diversity & Inclusion Award recognizes an individual for his/her efforts aimed at promoting diversity awareness, representation and inclusion within the India Inc.
Dilip Kumar Ganta, Sales & Marketing Head (Tamil Nadu), Vodafone is the recipient for the award. Dilip’s efforts on promoting women in sales, and that too in remote locations, are commendable. The Jury was unanimous in their choice for the award as Dilip’s work in the space, like mentoring women leaders in his organization, is exemplary. He has shown a passionate commitment towards D&I agenda and has been influencing his organizational team and stakeholders consistently to adopt the inclusive culture.
