Women’s World Awards 2008

Yesterday on Zee Café, I was watching the Women’s World Awards 2008 which took place on March 5, 2009 and I was really impressed by two ladies who were awarded prizes for “Hope” and “Social” categories. The other categories for which the awards are given are “Actress”, “Artist”, “Style” “Fashion” “Entertainment”, “Achievement”, “Tolerance”, “Business”, “Career” and “Lifetime Achievement”. I did a bit of research on these awards and decided to write about them and the persons who were given the awards under the categories “Hope” and “Social”.

I do not know how many of you are aware of the Women’s WORLD AWARDS which have been founded by two men – Georg Kindel, an Austrian, and ex-Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. In the year 2000 they first instituted an award called “Mens World Awards”. In Georg’s words: “The idea was not intended to create a macho event showing how good or successful men were, but rather to convey the message that much still has to be done, so that men can change their attitudes and social behavior, which are at the core of the many pressing global problems. From the beginning it has been our intention to honor role models, people effecting positive change and thereby inspiring millions of others.” Mikhail Gorbachev was so impressed by the concept of the WORLD AWARDS that he immediately agreed to become its President: “Only by creating a new awareness among men can we hope to bring about positive changes in our world”.

Since its inception in the millennium year the WORLD AWARDS event has grown immensely and its message of peace and tolerance has reached more than 1.5 billion people across the world. The WORLD AWARDS are proud to honor men and women whose lives are filled with passion, ideals and visions. In today’s troubled world, it is of immense importance to reflect on the good and positive in order to inspire others to follow these examples.

President Gorbachev: “Over the course of the second year we realized that it is at least as important, if not more so to honor women for their achievements. However we did not want to make these awards just a part of the established WORLD AWARDS for men but rather a separate, completely independent event to honor women for their extraordinary achievements and positively affecting our world.”

Two years later the idea fructified to become a reality. On June 9, 2004, the WOMEN’S WORLD AWARDS were held in Hamburg, Germany for the first time.

Since 2004 many exceptional individuals have been honored with the World’s leading award for women. Remember this is no Miss World or Miss Universe contest where the participants compete by mouthing platitudes on what they would do for social causes etc, this is about women out there who are doing what needs to be done to uplift the cause of women world wide – not for any award or prize – but because it is a way of life for them. These awards just confer a recognition towards their dedication for the cause they espouse.
The Women’s World Hope Award was given to Miss Najoud Ali, a 10-year-old girl from Yemen who was forced by her parents into a marriage at the age of 8 with a 30-year-old man. This so called husband of hers reportedly raped and beat her viciously and repeatedly. This brave girl, took a cab to the courthouse herself and asked the court for a divorce which was granted. Yemen has a large devout Muslim population, but it takes courage to fight both poverty and an oppressive system. The young girl was really just a victim of her countries cultural and religious customs. Child marriages are de riguer in that country and religious conservatives and others want to keep it so. She refused to accept her fate and successfully fought for a divorce. This young girl made a choice to fight the system rather than become a defeated victim of her circumstances. She was honored for inspiring millions of women around the world with her unbelievable courage. In India how many women are dishonored, victimized and made to feel unwanted is an open secret. We have rampant female foetuside after parents illegally determine the sex of the unborn baby with the help of unscrupulous doctors, in the north females are made to sit at home to cook and bear children, if they do not give birth to a male child, then they are harassed and in many cases burnt to death which gets reported as a kitchen accident! Such stories abound, then we have the educated class trying to impose moral policing on the nations women through their own warped sense of what is right and wrong. Even our own Parliament refuses to pass the Women’s Representation Act in gross violation of poll promises.

The Women’s World Social Award was given to Esther Mujawayo-Keiner for her work in Rwanda. She survived the genocide in Rwanda with her three children. Her husband, parents as well as numerous family-members were violently killed by the “Hutu’s” in the genocide which took place in that country in 1994. At least 500,000 Tutsi’s and moderate Hutu’s died in that genocide. All male members of Esther’s community were killed, including male children, and the women repeatedly raped and made to work as slave labor. She believes “Too much is expected of the victims” when told to reconcile with the perpetrators of the crimes. She feels the victims need to first reconcile with themselves and their losses. Together with other widows she founded the NGO AVEGA (Association for Widows of Genocide) to give surviving women and orphans a voice as well as much needed support (http://www.avega.org.rw/English.html). She received the award for her humanitarian achievements. The citation for the award stated : “As you stood on stage, you captured our respect for one women’s struggle to make sure the widows from Rwanda’s genocide found a voice. Through your own heartache at the loss of your husband and 300 family members, you chose not to be defeated. Today, your organization AVEGA (Association de veueves du genocide d’Avril) is helping “Every woman to have a chance.” Your spirit has shown that women can give life in more ways than one. By the way, your three daughters are outstanding young women. They are so proud of their mother, and I can tell they have your passion for doing great things. As I said to you at the Awards ceremony “asante sana Esther.” I hope you do well with the sale of your book “Ein Leben mehr” and I hope the women of Rwanda find their peace and happiness.”

I am convinced we need empowerment of women to take place immediately after emancipation of women. It is the need of the hour, as the education and empowerment of women is the only thing which help our future generations imbibe the right values to help this country take it’s rightful place amongst the worlds nations. These stories should inspire our friends in Pakistan to take courage in their hands and resist the Taliban with its archaic laws on women, restricting their education and free movement. I salute these brave women who have done so much to inspire generations to come. It takes a special kind of courage to live through hell and then make that experience work for you to help the lot of other women in similar situations.