Varsha Deshpande from Satara wins 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Standard
9 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Centre to table Sports Bill today; BCCI to come under govt purview
The government is set to introduce the much-anticipated National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The bill aims to establish a legal framework that promotes accountability, transparency, and fairness in the operation of National Sports Federations (NSFs). It also aims to protect the interests of athletes by setting up robust grievance redressal and safe sport mechanisms. Ensuring better governance and dispute resolution The primary objectives of the bill include enhancing the welfare of sportspersons, enforcing ethical standards, and laying down clear governance norms for NSFs. It proposes administrative reforms and a system to resolve disputes through institutional processes rather than ad hoc interventions. A key feature of the legislation is the inclusion of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) under its jurisdiction. Once the bill is enacted, the BCCI will need to apply for annual recognition just like any other NSF. Additionally, all ongoing and future disputes involving the cricket board will be handled by the soon-to-be-established National Sports Tribunal. After completing its elections in September, the BCCI will have to seek approval from the proposed National Sports Board to continue operating. Even though the cricket body doesn't receive government funding, it will still have to comply with the norms set under the law. Central tribunal to handle all federation disputes The BCCI, like other federations, will be bound by the eligibility requirements outlined in the Act. Despite its autonomy, the board will no longer be able to approach regular courts for litigation. Instead, all disputes — from team selection issues to code of conduct violations — will be handled by a central tribunal, which is expected to improve transparency and streamline governance in Indian sports. Separating facts from misconceptions The bill has also been designed to clear up misconceptions about excessive government control. A ministry representative clarified that while the government will not interfere in the day-to-day functioning of federations, the law will enforce minimum governance standards to ensure accountability. Age and tenure rules with built-in flexibility Recognising existing leadership structures, the bill allows some flexibility in terms of age and tenure. For instance, any office-bearer who is elected before turning 70 can complete their full term, even if they cross the age threshold during that period. However, the bill introduces a mandatory cooling-off period between two consecutive terms for key positions such as president, secretary, and treasurer. Each term cannot exceed four years, with a maximum of three terms allowed. The legislation targets ten major problems that have plagued Indian sports governance: Frequent internal conflicts Absence of a unified code of ethics No independent dispute resolution mechanism Inadequate protection for athletes Gender imbalance in leadership roles Poor representation within federations Limited accountability of office-bearers No fixed age or term limits Under-representation of women No legal framework for sportswomen to complete registration processes To align Indian standards with global practices, the bill draws on provisions from the IOC, FIFA, and other international federations. In cricket, the Justice Lodha Committee's recommendations — including the 70-year age cap for BCCI office-bearers — have been adopted. As a result, current BCCI president Roger Binny, who recently turned 70, will no longer be eligible to seek another term. In addition to the sports governance bill, the government will also introduce the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The goal is to update the 2022 legislation to meet the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) standards and ensure the independence of both the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) and the Appeals Panel (ADAP).
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
9 minutes ago
- Business Standard
War between India, Pakistan was probably going to end up nuclear: Trump
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed yet again that he stopped the recent "war" between India and Pakistan and that five planes were shot down in the conflict. He also claimed that the conflict between India and Pakistan "was probably going to end up in a nuclear war". "We stopped wars between India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda," he said at a reception in the White House with the Congress members. "They shot down five planes and it was back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. I called them and said, 'Listen, no more trade. If you do this, you're not going to be goodThey're both powerful nuclear nations and that would have happened, and who knows where that would have ended up. And I stopped it'," he added. Trump claimed the US took out Iran's entire nuclear capability and also stopped the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia. "And a couple of others that we didn't stop a war, but we stopped what probably could have ended up in a war. We do that on the House as compliments of America. Okay, do you think (former US President Joe) Biden would do that? I don't think so. Do you think he ever heard of any of those countries? I don't think so, Trump said. Trump, who has repeatedly said that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan through trade, last Friday said for the first time that five jets were shot down during the fighting. You had India, Pakistan, that was going in fact, planes were being shot out of the air, five, five, four or five. But I think five jets were shot down actuallythat was getting worse and worse, wasn't it? That was looking like it was going to go, these are two serious nuclear countries and they were hitting each other, he had said at the White House in his remarks made during a dinner that he hosted for the Republican senators. Meanwhile, Acting US Representative Ambassador Dorothy Shea said at an open debate in the UN Security Council on Tuesday on Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes' held under Pakistan's presidency of the Council that across the globe, the United States continues to work with parties to disputes, wherever possible, to find peaceful solutions. With Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar presiding over the Council meeting, Shea said that in the past three months alone, we have seen the US leadership deliver de-escalations between Israel and Iran, between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, and between India and Pakistan. The United States, under President Trump's leadership, played an important role in encouraging the parties to reach these resolutions, which we applaud and support, Shea said. Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, in his statement in the UNSC chamber spoke about the Pahalgam terror attack for which The Resistance Front, a front for Pakistan-based terror organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba had claimed responsibility. Harish emphasized that there should be a serious cost to states who violate the spirit of good neighbourliness and international relations by fomenting cross-border terrorism. He said that India launched Operation Sindoor targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir consequent to the gruesome terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that led to the killing of 26 innocent tourists and based on the April 25 UNSC statement. In the UNSC statement, the Council members had underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. Harish emphasised that India's response was focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. On achieving its primary objectives, a cessation of military activities was directly concluded at the request of Pakistan, he said. Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire after a long night of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim several times on various occasions that he helped settle the tensions and that he told the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours that America will do a lot of trade with them if they stopped the conflict. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump were scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, in June, but the US president returned to Washington early. Before departing Kananaskis and wrapping up his first visit to Canada in a decade, Modi had a 35-minute telephonic conversation with Trump in Washington. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had said in a video message from Kananaskis that Modi clearly conveyed to Trump that at no point during the days following Operation Sindoor was there any discussion, at any level, on an India-US trade deal or any proposal for mediation by the US between India and Pakistan. Asserting Prime Minister Modi firmly stated that India does not and will never accept mediation, Misri had said the discussion to cease military action took place directly between India and Pakistan through the existing channels of communication between the two armed forces and it was initiated at Pakistan's request. The US has designated The Resistance Front as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The State Department said these actions taken by it against The Resistance Front demonstrates the Trump administration's commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump's call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.
New Indian Express
39 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
War between India, Pakistan was probably going to end up nuclear: Trump
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed yet again that he stopped the recent "war" between India and Pakistan and that five planes were shot down in the conflict. He also claimed that the conflict between India and Pakistan "was probably going to end up in a nuclear war". "We stopped wars between India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda," he said at a reception in the White House with the Congress members. "They shot down five planes and it was back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. I called them and said, 'Listen, no more trade. If you do this, you're not going to be good…They're both powerful nuclear nations and that would have happened, and who knows where that would have ended up. And I stopped it'," he added. Trump claimed the US took out Iran's entire nuclear capability and also stopped the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia. "And a couple of others that we didn't stop a war, but we stopped what probably could have ended up in a war. We do that on the House as compliments of America. Okay, do you think (former US President Joe) Biden would do that? I don't think so. Do you think he ever heard of any of those countries? I don't think so,' Trump said. Trump, who has repeatedly said that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan through trade, last Friday said for the first time that 'five jets were shot down' during the fighting. 'You had India, Pakistan, that was going… in fact, planes were being shot out of the air, five, five, four or five. But I think five jets were shot down actually…that was getting worse and worse, wasn't it? That was looking like it was going to go, these are two serious nuclear countries and they were hitting each other,' he had said at the White House in his remarks made during a dinner that he hosted for the Republican senators. Meanwhile, Acting US Representative Ambassador Dorothy Shea said at an open debate in the UN Security Council on Tuesday on 'Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes' held under Pakistan's presidency of the Council that across the globe, the United States continues to work with parties to disputes, wherever possible, to find peaceful solutions. With Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar presiding over the Council meeting, Shea said that in the past three months alone, 'we have seen the US leadership deliver de-escalations between Israel and Iran, between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, and between India and Pakistan.' 'The United States, under President Trump's leadership, played an important role in encouraging the parties to reach these resolutions, which we applaud and support,' Shea said. Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, in his statement in the UNSC chamber spoke about the Pahalgam terror attack for which The Resistance Front, a front for Pakistan-based terror organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba had claimed responsibility. Harish emphasized that there should be a 'serious cost' to states who 'violate the spirit of good neighbourliness and international relations by fomenting cross-border terrorism.' He said that India launched Operation Sindoor targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir consequent to the gruesome terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that led to the killing of 26 innocent tourists and based on the April 25 UNSC statement.
