Odisha activist to receive ‘Women of Wonder’ award

Bhubaneswar: Odisha-born women’s rights activist and author Manasi Pradhan has been chosen to get the prestigious ‘Women of Wonder’ award-2018.

Others who will receive the award this year in various categories include Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, Head of ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar, renowned industrialist Kiran Majumdar Shaw, Bollywood producer Ekta Kapoor, Allahabad Bank Chairman Usha Ananthasubramanium, Indian cricket captain Mithali Raj and Olympian Dipa karmakar.

The award instituted by Lions Clubs International in association with Wockhardt Foundation and Dibyaj Foundation will be conferred on the recipients at a glittering ceremony to be held on March 3 at Mumbai Race Course.

Widely regarded as a spirited fighter for women’s rights, Manasi Pradhan is the founder of Honour for Women National Campaign, a nationwide movement to end violence against women in India.

Pradhan is frequently featured among world’s top activists and authors by prestigious international publications and organizations. In 2016, the New York-based Bustle magazine named her among 20 most inspiring Feminists Authors and Activists along with Nobel Prize winners Shirin Ebadi, Rigoberta Menchu, Malala Yousafzai, Betty Friedan, Naomi Klein, Angela Davis, Kate Millett and Gloria Steinem. In 2017, the Los Angeles-based Welker Media Inc. named her among 12 most powerful feminist change makers across the globe.

Besides, she was conferred with the prestigious Rani Lakshmibai Stree Shakti Puraskar in 2014 by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhawan. She has received numerous international and national awards including the Outstanding Women Award in 2011.

The inspiring life story of Pradhan has been adopted as documentaries in United States and Israel by acclaimed filmmakers including Matan Uzeil.