Global Leadership Award by Vital Voices

It was a memorable and all inspiring night at the recently concluded #GlobaLeadershipAward by Vital Voices Global Partnership. A pro-women led initiative with the aim to recognize and celebrate women leading local action for global change in in the areas of economic opportunity & empowerment, women’s political participation & public engagement, gender based violence and human rights. Founded by HilaryClinton, Madaleine Albright and other powerful world women leaders.

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The Vital Voices Global Leadership Award sought to recognize, celebrate and award women changing the lives of many in their local communities, women whose stories and activities were so deeply compelling it left many in the audience teary eyes; stories emotionally rooted in the foundation of humanity it moved the audience in drawing inspiration and hope for better world.

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An award to honor women who understand that value of social impact isn’t all about focusing on just the numbers but on the true value add on the lives of people and communities they cared about. Women who understood the need for delayed gratification in not just scaling for profits but to create meaningful social impact in life’s of ordinary citizen in their local communities.

Women like:

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@Habiba Abi (the Wizard) at SOSAI Renewable Energies Company who was Awarded Vital Voices Economic Empowerment Award for shining the lights on rural Nigeria, and bridging the Energy gap by bringing renewables energy to these communities.

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Rouba Mhaissen of Sawa for Development; who was Awarded the Human Rights Award for building and shaping the lives of communities and people of syria which was deeply affected by war in 2011 . Through Sawa’s community led education, protection, advocacy and livelihood programs, Rouba promotes locally led solutions in Syrian refugee and host communities across Europe and the middle East.

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Saskia Niño de Rivera Coverfrom Mexico, who also received one of the most interesting Award of the Vital Voices Award; for her angelic work at Reinserta where she is disrupting the cycle of violence and incarceration by focusing on the very people caught in it. Imprisoned men & women and children born behind bars. Saskia is determined to lead by example and change the mindset of Mexicans who feel powerless to affect change.

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Another yet superb and inspiring Award is that which was presented to Amanda Nguyen the American civil rights advocate bringing equality to all sexual assault survivors through legal reforms and citizen activism. A rape survivor who rewrote the law by creating the Sexual Assault Survivor’s Bill of Rights and campaigning the United Nations to a historic resolution that would enshrine survivor’s rights as fundamental human rights. In her words, “Ordinary citizen when armed with the right tools and support, can”pen their own civil rights into existence and bring about the change they imagine”

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I cannot forget; but to mention the iconic fashion designer and entrepreneur DVF (Diane von Furstenberg) who was Awarded the Global Trailblazer Award for using her platform to elevate women’s voices and provide women the exposure, mentorship and resources they needed to realise their potential. She established the prestigious DVF Awards in 2010 to recognize exceptional women leaders and provide grants to further their work.

The even which held at the John F kennedy Center was filled with budding social entrepreneur, fellows of the AtlasCorps emerging global leaders fellowship industry leaders like the beautiful and brilliant Bozoma Saint John, the amazing @AmandaGorman the National Youth Poet Laureate (HERlead Fellow) and the powerful luminary Nancy Pelosi 52nd Speaker House of Representatives, USA.

Others special guests included:

  • Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
  • Tina Brown, President and CEO, Tina Brown Live Media
  • Jasmine Cephas Jones, Actor and Activist
  • Amanda Gorman, First-Ever Youth Poet Laureate of the United States, Vital Voices HERlead Fellow
  • David Jaffe, Chairman and CEO, ascena retail group, inc.
  • Donna Langley, Chairman, Universal Pictures
  • Lauren Moore, Vice President of Global Community Impact, Johnson & Johnson
  • Deborah Rutter, President, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
  • Bozoma Saint John, Chief Marketing Officer, Endeavor

To the many women out there working hard in making the world a better place, this is to say that we appreciate you and we love you.

Photos credit to Vital Voices Global Partnership. Photos taken by Paul Morigi (Paul Morigi Photography) and Kaz Sasahara (Lancer Photography).