Girls Human Rights Awards

Awards Finalists

Best Activist

This award recognises individuals or organisations that have demonstrated outstanding commitment and effectiveness in advocating for girls' rights and gender equality. Nominees may have led campaigns, lobbied policymakers, or raised awareness on issues relating to violence against girls and gender inequity.

Finalist
Lipa Nessa is a dynamic, football enthusiast on a mission to drive change. With the mantra "I'm going to change the world with a hijab on my head and a ball at my feet," she's a former semi-professional player turned grassroots coach and sports activist. Lipa's impactful work spans communities, promoting inclusivity through football. She's a pivotal voice on sports boards, shaping education, policy, and innovation. Lipa embodies the fusion of sports and social progress, inspiring a global movement. This year, The Sweaty Betty Foundation, with Lipa, created a newly designed Sports Hijab empowering even more women and girls to get fit and stay fit, for life.
Finalist
Raphaelle Jouannic is a French activist and feminist, the co-leader of the "I am a Woman/Girl in Cyberspace" campaign and former UNESCO project officer for gender equality and women's empowerment. This initiative aims to amplify the voices of women and girls in the digital realm, highlighting the importance of their presence and contributions in an increasingly connected world. She champions youth activism as the heart of social change and trains young people and girls on how to navigate cyberviolence and cybersexism in the digital space.
Finalist
Lois Ireland, Undergraduate student at the University of Cambridge is passionate about fighting for gender equality, previously working with UN Women UK and Plan International UK to raise awareness about women and girl’s issues. She is the founding president of a successful Feminist Society and has ran various campaigns about important issues facing women including violence against women, sexual harassment and medical misogyny. She was awarded the Guild of Friends prize from Newnham College in recognition of her ‘outstanding contributions’ to her University community, and is currently a United Nations Academic Impact Millennium Campus Network (MCN).
Presenter
Yasmin Waljee OBE is Hogan Lovells award winning International Pro Bono Partner and co-lead of the Social Impact Practice. She is an international human rights lawyer with a focus on reparations work. With over 27 years of experience and expertise across many areas, including in human trafficking and sexual violence, she has worked on many ground breaking and law changing matters.

Presenter

Best Digital Changemaker

Recognising individuals or organisations that have effectively utilised digital platforms, social media, or technology to raise awareness, mobilise support, and advocate for girls' rights and gender equality. Nominees may have used digital tools to amplify girls' voices, challenge stereotypes, or advocate for policy changes.

Finalist
Yasmina Benslimane is a Moroccan feminist activist and founder of Politics4Her, an intersectional feminist youth-led digital platform and global movement advocating for the inclusive participation of young women in politics. Raised by a single mother, Yasmina's commitment to these causes is deeply personal and driven by her early experiences with patriarchal norms. Yasmina's work has not only raised awareness but has also equipped girls with the tools to challenge stereotypes and advocate for policy changes, making her a leading figure in digital activism for gender equality.
Finalist
Francesca Nxedhlana is the co-founder of the Period Dignity Action Project, and a passionate advocate for menstrual dignity and period poverty awareness. She also serves on several boards, including the Cherie Blair Foundation, driving change in gender equality. Her goal has been to normalise discussing period poverty and menstrual justice on mainstream digital platforms. She has invested the last three years to create a digital campaign to raise awareness and start a conversation on the existence of period poverty.
Finalist
Mical Imbukwa is a Kenyan award-winning digital changemaker, recognized for her dedication to advocating for the rights of women, girls, and minority groups. She leverages her skills in journalism—through articles, videos, and audio conversations—to drive impactful change by informing mindsets, inspiring action, and influencing policy. As a fellow of the Kenya Comms Hub Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Content Creators Fellowship, Mical has been trained in the heartwired approach to messaging, allowing her to create compelling and resonant content.
Presenter
Justin North is the founder of an advisory practice that works with the operational leaders of large global law firms. He has worked within the international legal industry for close to 30 years.
He has an active interest in a number of social justice areas and is passionate about access to justice and equality in law. Both through his company Pickering Pearce - and in collaboration with his wife Katja (a partner at international law firm Simmons & Simmons) – he provides financial support and advocacy for a number of charities including Toiletries Amnesty, Gender Avengers, First100 Years and Rebellious Lawyering.
Pickering Pearce is a leading UK-headquartered legal technology advisory firm. They provide innovative and independent strategic advice to help their clients understand what is tactically possible at every stage of their growth.

Presenter

Best Legal Advocate

Recognising individuals or organisations that have made significant contributions to advancing girls' rights through legal advocacy, litigation, policy advocacy, or law reform initiatives. Nominees may have advocated for legal reforms, represented girls in court cases, or challenged discriminatory laws and practices.

Presenter

Finalist
Abigail Nthuba is a Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa fellow at Georgetown University and the founder and Managing Director of a law firm called Abigail and Partners. This firm specialises in providing pro bono strategic litigation and other legal services to women and girls in gender-based violence cases, advocating for their rights and ensuring access to justice. Her commitment has led to significant legal victories and support for numerous women in Botswana.
Finalist
Divina Sachdeva founded the Eximia Law Society in 2021 after realising the lack of infrastructure and opportunities for law aspirants, and expanded it to five countries- UAE, India, the UK, Singapore, and Australia- remotely. She was the only first-year student elected on committee for the Women and Law Society at her university. She was then honoured with the society’s Spring Ball Award for Outstanding Engagement and elected Co-President for 2024/25. This made her the youngest female in this position and she is actively working to uplift the society and bring more opportunities to its members.
Finalist
Salina Kafle is the Executive Director at the Human Rights and Justice Centre in Nepal, specializing in combating torture and conflict-related sexual violence. Her work focuses on aligning national laws with international standards and advocating for justice for human rights violations. Under her leadership, the Human Rights and Justice Centre works to promote the rights of victims and survivors, ensuring that their voices are heard and their stories are acknowledged.
Presenter
Jill Greenfield is head of Fieldfisher's serious injury team, best known for its approach of fighting for early medical intervention for people brain-injured in work accidents and on the roads. Jill has become a spokesperson for women affected by sexual assault at work. She and her team represented victims of Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein and continue to run claims against high-profile abusers. She is known as a fierce litigator and for providing outstanding client care.

Trailblazer Award for Leadership

The Trailblazer Award for Leadership honours an inspirational leader who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in championing girls' rights. This individual has shown visionary leadership, strategic thinking, and has inspired others to take action for gender equality and the empowerment of girls.

Finalist
Vee Kativhu is a trailblazing advocate for girls' education, founding several organisations dedicated to empowering young women. Originally from Zimbabwe, now based in the UK, she was awarded an Honorary Degree from Bradford University in 2024 for her outstanding work in advancing girls' education globally. Dr. Vee is the Founder & Director of Empowered By Vee, an organisation dedicated to making higher education more accessible for underserved and underrepresented students around the world. She also serves as a Young Leader with the United Nations Office of Youth.
Finalist
Georgiana Epure is a human rights practitioner and a gender justice advocate. As the President of the Association for Liberty and Gender Equality, in Romania, she coordinates the organisation’s advocacy work, with a focus on combating violence against women, developing feminist cities, eliminating harassment in the workplace, and countering legislative attacks on gender equality. On her former role as the Senior Advocacy and Campaigns Officer at Girls Not Brides, she led the development and delivery of their global campaign to end child marriage.
Finalist
Laura Coryton MBE is a gender equality activist, author and founder of social enterprise, Sex Ed Matters. She founded the 'End Tampon Tax' campaign, which ended the sexist 'luxury' tax rate once applied to all period products, changed EU law and successfully lobbied the government into establishing the Tampon Tax Fund, through which almost £100m was donated to female-focused charities. She now runs Sex Ed Matters which delivers consent education across the UK to tackle rising rates of Violence Against Women and Girls.
Presenter
Alison Eddy is the London Managing Partner for Irwin Mitchell LLP, a national multi-disciplinary law firm. She is recognised as a leading medical negligence and complex personal injury lawyer. Alison has been a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession. In 2008 she helped set up the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Board and led the gender equality group for many years. Irwin Mitchell is currently the only top 50 UK law firm where over 50% of the partners are women. Alison is an award-winning legal sector leader. Most recently, in 2024 she was awarded the Legal 500 ESG Lifetime Achievement Award- Women in Law.

Presenter

Champion for Ending Violence against Girls

This award recognizes an individual who has shown exemplary dedication and impact in advocating for the prevention and elimination of violence against girls. They have worked tirelessly to raise awareness, support survivors, and implement initiatives aimed at ending all forms of violence that affect girls globally

Finalist
Marie Ange Raissa Uwamungu is a young Rwandan trailblazer in gender equality and human rights. She has beaten all the odds from living life in a slum to becoming the successful founder and executive director of the civil society organisation Impanuro Girls Initiative. Through being aware of the significant disparities that women and girls face when it comes to accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and services, Impanuro Girls Initiative applies an intersectional approach to ensure no one is left behind.
Finalist
Shamsa Araweelo is a powerful advocate for survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and honour-based violence, recognised as one of BBC's 100 Women of 2023. Leveraging her influential social media presence, which has reached over 100 million people worldwide, she amplifies her activism, raises awareness, and drives impactful change. A graduate of Buckinghamshire New University with a Bachelor of Science in Policing Studies with Criminal Investigation (Honours), Shamsa is also set to receive an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Winchester on 22nd October.
Finalist
Rima Sultana Rimu is a member of Young Women Leaders for Peace, recognized for her educational efforts in Rohingya refugee camps. Through radio broadcasts, theatre, and classroom teaching, she spreads awareness on women’s rights and offers critical resources to vulnerable communities. Rimu is one of the two Bangladeshis on the 2020 BBC 100 inspiring and influential women list, from around the world. She is relentlessly working to empower women and eliminate gender discrimination, violence, and child marriage in conflicted areas of Bangladesh.
Presenter
Katie Beeching, Ambassador for The Caring Family Foundation, bringing over 15 years of experience in government, law enforcement, and the non-profit sector to her work in tackling inequality within vulnerable groups and communities. A dedicated human rights activist, she has focused her efforts predominantly in the areas of human trafficking and modern slavery.
More recently, she has advocated for the rights of indigenous groups in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, championing their causes and working to protect their way of life, their home and leading systemic climate change initiatives.
As a mother, Katie is deeply motivated by her desire to leave the world a better place for her daughter. Her commitment to social justice and equity drives her work, making a significant impact in the lives of those she serves.

Presenter

This award is supported by The Caring Family Foundation.

The Caring Family Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of women, with children at the heart of all that we do. They work to tackle child poverty, deforestation and domestic abuse, in the UK and Brazil, with their core focus remaining on women and children across these areas.

Mr. and Mrs. Caring.

Champion for Equality & Equity for Girls

The Champion for Equality & Equity for Girls award celebrates an advocate who has been instrumental in promoting gender equality and equity for girls. They have actively worked to dismantle barriers and ensure that girls have equal opportunities in education, health, leadership, and other spheres of life.

Finalist
Gudny Nielsen is the Founder of SoGreen, a climate tech company that aims to scale powerful social impact solutions for a positive climate impact. Her innovative approach introduces a new revenue stream for organisations focused on girls' education, by enabling these organisations to generate carbon credits for the voluntary carbon market. By merging climate action with social impact, Gudny’s work addresses both environmental and educational challenges, ensuring a sustainable and inclusive future.
Finalist
Resty Mbwali is an Ugandan environmental scientist and grassroots activist, specialising in climate resilience and environmental justice. She has led initiatives like the Climate Resilience Hub, mentoring women to create local climate solutions and advocating for sustainable practices. She is an Environment reporter at Busoga Today currently working with Girls for Climate Action as Climate leadership trainer. She served at President Makerere University Waste Management and Research Association (MUWMRA) and is a passionate environmental rights defender.
Finalist
KADEM is an NGO advocating for women and girl’s human rights and working for the representation of women and girls in every aspect of society. Having both national and international projects and advocacy works, KADEM has affected more than 10 thousand women and girls providing them social, legal, psychological support and services. KADEM works continuously with its professional team of 100 bright individuals and is even stronger with 5400 members and more than 5000 passionate volunteers tirelessly working at all 50 representative offices across Turkey to ensure gender justice and women’s & girls’ rights
Presenter
Nadia Motraghi KC is a barrister and King’s Counsel specialising in employment and discrimination, professional discipline and public law. She has acted in some of the most complex, important and sensitive cases in these fields. Old Square Chambers is specialist set with 79 members, including 17 King's Counsel. It is a leading civil set with modern, innovative and approachable counsel clerked by a client-focused team.

Presenter

Safe Haven Award

The Safe Haven Award honours an organisation or initiative that has created a safe and supportive environment for girls, promoting their well-being and empowerment. This safe haven could be a physical space, online community, or program that provides girls with resources, protection, and opportunities to thrive.

Finalist
Rebecca Rumsay has worked all year to provide a safe space for all victims and survivors within Cardiff university. She set up a group called Time To Act who met with legislators, including the minister for Violence Against Women and Girls, to highlight the significant impact sexual misconduct has within her university. She has campaigned to ban student staff relationships, to introduce bystander and consent training and helped set up Stronger Together, a society for victims and survivors to get support in collaboration with Cardiff Women’s Aid.
Finalist
Ireen Chikatula is a dynamic leader and advocate for gender equality in Zambia. As the founder of the Empowerment Initiative for Rural Women and Adolescents (EIRWA), Ireen has spearheaded numerous projects aimed at uplifting marginalised communities, especially girls. Her work includes the successful implementation of the Girls Can Project, which empowers adolescent girls in rural Zambia. Currently with 500 girls enrolled, the Girls Can project' creates girls' clubs (safe spaces) in rural/remote schools and delivers peer mentorship sessions focusing on social and life skills, literacy and digital skills. Additionally, EIRWA has directly benefited over 10,000 individuals, with programs addressing gender-based violence, reproductive health rights, and economic empowerment.
Finalist
Anita Thapa is the co-founder of Hamro Palo (meaning "Our Turn" in English), a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering adolescent girls in Nepal. The organisation primarily focuses on underserved girls in rural areas, where they often receive less attention and investment as social capital. Over the years, Anita has designed and implemented various interventions aimed at addressing social and gender norms by educating and empowering girls. Since 2016, under her leadership, Hamro Palo has positively impacted over 8,000 adolescent girls through the Her Turn Education and Empowerment program.
Presenter
Nadia Motraghi KC is a barrister and King’s Counsel specialising in employment and discrimination, professional discipline and public law. She has acted in some of the most complex, important and sensitive cases in these fields. Old Square Chambers is specialist set with 79 members, including 17 King's Counsel. It is a leading civil set with modern, innovative and approachable counsel clerked by a client-focused team.

Presenter

Global Impact Award

The Global Impact Award recognises an individual or organisation that has made a significant global impact in advancing girls' rights and empowerment. Their initiatives or advocacy efforts have transcended borders, positively influencing policies, practices, and perceptions related to girls' rights on an international scale.

Girls Human Rights Awards 2024

Photo Gallery

Global Impact Award
Anila Bukhari, from Pakistan, is the youngest person to win an international excellence community service Gold award for her amazing work to end child marriage and for promoting girls education. Her impactful project, "No More Bride Just Shine," spans across 150 countries, advocating for children's rights and empowering young girls globally. Her work to end child marriage spread in 50 countries including Turkey, Azerbaijan, North Macedonia, Georgia, Bangladesh and Nepal. She is the author of 11 books that contain poems about ending child marriage. With a strong belief in the power of education, Anila has established small wooden libraries in Indonesia and Macedonia, focusing on underprivileged areas where girls lack access to resources. She has also provided a platform for 50 refugee poets, publishing their works and amplifying their voices. Anila Bukhari has made history as the youngest Pakistani poet to have her poems installed in international festivals in Italy.
Global Impact Award
Suhani Jalota is the Founder and CEO of Myna Mahila Foundation based in Mumbai. Her mission is to bring equal access to health care services for all. She has been working in urban slum areas and rural communities researching and designing strategies on projects ranging from adolescent girl health, water and sanitation, to social protection policies. In the past few years, Suhani has worked in the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, and several cities in India. She was honoured with Forbes 30 under 30 Asia 2018, is a Queen’s Young Leader 2017 representing India, and one of Glamour’s College Women of the Year 2016. At Duke University, she was a Baldwin Scholar, a women’s four year leadership program, and a Melissa and Doug Entrepreneurship Fellow 2016 that helped her found the Myna Mahila Foundation.
Global Impact Award
Sara Wahedi is an Afghan-Canadian tech entrepreneur and humanitarian. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ehtesab, a civic technology startup in Kabul, Afghanistan. Launched in March 2020, the 'Ehtesab App' functions as both a nationwide alert system and a platform for crowdsourcing reports throughout Afghanistan, having already sent over a quarter of a million alerts. Ehtesab is currently developing a feature to document instances of 'gender apartheid' to help establish it as a recognised offence under international law. By 2025, Sara's goal is to expand Ehtesab's reach to additional crisis-affected regions. With a strong background in policy-making, she has worked with the United Nations and various international NGOs, tirelessly advocating for girls and women’s rights. Her impact on the lives of women in Afghanistan and beyond is immeasurable, making her a leading feminist voice in the region.
Global Impact Award presented by Josefa González Blanco Ortiz Mena, Ambassador of Mexico to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Her Excellency Josefa González Blanco Ortiz Mena, Ambassador of Mexico to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. She serves as Mexico’s Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization, the International Mobile Satellite Organization, the International Coffee Organization, the International Sugar Organization, the International Whaling Commission and the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (FIDAC for its Spanish acronym). Ambassador Josefa is the actual president of the Women in Diplomacy Network in London.
Ambassador González Blanco Ortíz Mena has a Law Degree from Anahuac University, Mexico, and a Master's Degree in Transformative Arts from John F. Kennedy University, California. She also studied at the Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies in Paris, France.
She was Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico and has a long history as promoter of social, environmental and cultural programmes, both in Mexico and the United Kingdom, as well as an extensive career in environmental protection and wildlife conservation.