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The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Varsha Deshpande honoured with 2025 U.N. Population Award for advancing gender equality
Indian women's rights activist Varsha Deshpande has been awarded the 2025 United Nations Population Award in the individual category, in recognition of her decades-long work promoting gender equality and reproductive rights. The announcement was made by the United Nations in New York on Thursday (July 10, 2025), marking the 40th edition of the prestigious global honour. Ms. Deshpande, secretary of the Maharashtra-based Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal, was recognised for her pioneering work over more than 35 years to combat gender-based violence and discrimination, particularly gender-biased sex selection. She founded the organisation in 1990 to champion gender justice and empower marginalised women through legal reform, education, and grassroots mobilisation. The UN lauded her leadership in community-driven advocacy and reform under India's Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, aimed at curbing the declining child sex ratio. Through her organisation, Ms. Deshpande has also worked to prevent child marriage, safeguard the rights of women in the informal sector and promote joint property registration for women. 'I am deeply honoured to receive the prestigious UN Population Award in recognition of my efforts to address gender-biased sex selection and the declining sex ratio,' Ms. Deshpande said. She described the award as a tribute to the collective efforts of individuals and institutions working for gender justice. 'Humbling and inspiring' 'I sincerely hope this recognition helps renew focus on the critical issue of gender-biased sex selection and reinforces the importance of investing in the value of women and girls. Being counted among those who have made significant global contributions is both humbling and inspiring. It deepens my sense of responsibility to live up to this honour and to uphold the trust placed in me,' she added. Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative and Country Director for Bhutan, said, 'Varsha's pioneering efforts to build a more equal society are truly commendable. Her dedication to addressing all forms of discrimination — whether based on gender, caste, or religion — has contributed significantly to ensuring that people, especially women and girls, can live with dignity, opportunity, and well-being. I deeply appreciate her passion and commend her courage for working on a sensitive and critical issue like gender-biased sex selection.' The UN Population Award, established in 1981, honours individuals and institutions for outstanding contributions to population and reproductive health. It includes a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary prize.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Varsha Deshpande from Satara wins 2025 UN Population award for championing gender equality in India
Varsha Deshpande, a Satara-based advocate whose commitment towards 'saving the girl child' led her to launch ambitious campaigns and conduct sting operations to prevent sex-selective abortions, has been awarded the 2025 UN Population Award for championing gender equality in India. 'I am deeply honoured to receive the prestigious UN Population Award in recognition of my efforts to address gender-biased sex selection and the declining sex ratio. This award is not a personal accolade, but a tribute to the collective work of countless individuals and institutions who engage with communities to drive meaningful change and empower them,' Deshpande, who was felicitated on the occasion of World Population Day at an event in New York, told The Indian Express. According to an official statement, the laureate of the fortieth edition of the United Nations Population Award in the individual category is Varsha Deshpande, Secretary, Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal of India. At the helm of Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal that she set up in 1990, Deshpande has spearheaded numerous programmes, including ones addressing child marriage through the empowerment of adolescent girls and engagement with men and boys; safeguarding the rights of women in the informal sector; and promoting joint property registration to boost women's access to assets. She is a member of several statutory bodies constituted under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, the law to address gender-biased sex selection, and has played an instrumental role in strengthening its implementation. 'Deshpande tirelessly works to empower grassroots women by building their vocational skills, connecting them to vital resources and services, and fostering their financial independence. She has also played a pivotal role in addressing gender-biased sex selection (GBSS), championing legal reforms and behaviour change through community engagement and advocacy,' the statement added. 'I sincerely hope this recognition helps renew focus on the critical issue of gender-biased sex selection and reinforces the importance of investing in the value of women and girls. Being counted among those who have made significant global contributions is both humbling and inspiring. It deepens my sense of responsibility to live up to this honour and to uphold the trust placed in me,' Dehpande said Andrea M Wojnar, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) India representative and Country Director Bhutan, pointed out that Deshpande's pioneering efforts to build a more equal society were truly commendable. 'Her dedication to addressing all forms of discrimination—whether based on gender, caste, or religion—has contributed significantly to ensuring that people, especially women and girls, can live with dignity, opportunity, and well-being. I deeply appreciate her passion and commend her courage for working on a sensitive and critical issue like gender-biased sex selection,' she said. This recognition affirms the power of grassroots action in advancing gender equality and reproductive rights, and reflects the global importance of Deshpande's lifelong work, she said. Each year, the Committee for the United Nations Population Award honours an individual and/or institution in recognition of outstanding contributions to population and reproductive health issues and solutions. The award was established by the General Assembly in 1981, in resolution 36/201, and was first presented in 1983. It is now in its fortieth year. It consists of a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary prize. The Committee for the United Nations Population Award comprises eight UN member states, with United Nations Secretary-General and UNFPA Executive Director serving as ex-officio members.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Maha activist wins UN Population Award
Mumbai: Women's rights activist Varsha Deshpande, founder of the Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal of India, has won the 2025 United Nations Population Award in the individual category. Deshpande was set to receive the award at the UN's New York headquarters on Friday. The only two earlier Indian recipients of the award in this category have been Indira Gandhi (in 1983) and JRD Tata (in 1992), while HelpAge India won in the institution category in 2020. A ground-breaking activist with more than 35 years of experience working on gender-based violence and against discrimination, Deshpande, who hails from Western Maharashtra, founded the Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal in 1990 to advance women's rights. "She has worked to empower grassroots women by building their vocational skills, connecting them to vital resources and services, and fostering their financial independence," the UN Population Fund stated in a release. The UN Population Fund further stated that "at the helm of Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal, Ms. Deshpande has spearheaded numerous programmes, including ones addressing child marriage through the empowerment of adolescent girls and engagement with men and boys; safeguarding the rights of women in the informal sector; and promoting joint property registration to boost women's access to assets. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo She is a respected member of various statutory bodies established by the Government of India and state-level governments, and has provided instrumental support for the law aimed at preventing gender-biased sex selection in India. " You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Every year, the Committee for the United Nations Population Award honours an individual and/or institution to recognize their contributions to population and reproductive health issues and solutions. The award was established by the UN General Assembly in 1981 and was first presented in 1983. It is now in its fortieth year. It consists of a gold medal, a diploma and a monetary prize. The Committee for the United Nations Population Award is composed of a quorum of 8 UN member states, with United Nations secretary-general and UNFPA executive director serving as ex-officio members. The International Union for the Scientific Study of Population won this year's award in the institution category.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Maha activist Varsha Deshpande becomes third Indian to get UN Populations Award
Kolhapur: Varsha Deshpande of Satara-based Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal, which works for the upliftment of socially backward women from rural India, has become the third Indian after former PM Indira Gandhi (1983) and industrialist-philanthropist JRD Tata (1992) to receive the prestigious United Nations Populations Award in the individual category. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now She was conferred the award at the UN, New York, on Friday. "Deshpande is a pioneering women's rights activist with more than 35 years of experience working on gender-based violence, discrimination and gender. She founded the Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal in 1990 to advance women's rights and gender justice. She tirelessly works to empower grassroot women by building their vocational skills, connecting them to vital resources and services and fostering their financial independence. She has also played a pivotal role in addressing gender-biased sex selection, championing legal reforms and behaviour change through community engagement and advocacy," read the statement issued by the UN. Among her pioneering contributions, Deshpande worked to fight against gender-biased sex selection. In a written statement, the social worker said, "The award is the recognition of my efforts to address gender-biased sex selection and declining sex ratio. It is a tribute to the collective work of countless individuals. The award reinforces the importance of investing in the value of women and girls." HelpAge India, the group working with and for disadvantaged elderly people in India for four decades, is serving their needs and enabling them to live active, dignified, and healthier lives. It was the recipient of the UN Population Award in 2020 in the institutional category. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Each year, the committee for the United Nations Population Award honours an individual and/or institution in recognition of outstanding contributions to population and reproductive health issues and solutions. The award was established by the General Assembly in 1981, in resolution 36/201, and was first presented in 1983. It is now in its fortieth year. It consists of a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary prize.
