WLUML networker Alaa Murabit receives the Hero Award at The Trust Women Award Ceremony in London

Announcing the Trust Women Award Winners

In September, we asked you to tell us about your women’s right heroes, activists and journalists who have contributed to the advancement of women’s rights worldwide showing courage, creativity and innovation. You gave us an incredible range of names, making the Trust Women Awards a truly global event.

We received 170 nominations from more than 140 countries, and at the winners were revealed last on the evening of December 3 at Trust Women conference in London. Libyan women’s rights activist Alaa Murabit and Indian investigative journalist Neha Dixit took home the 2013 Trust Women Awards.

HM Queen Noor presented the Hero Award to Alaa Murabit, Founder and President of The Voice of Libyan Women (VLW), a grassroots movement that promotes women’s political and social participation as well as the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence in Libya.

Murabit was also recognized for her latest media and educational project, ‘Noor: Shedding Light on Women’s Security Concerns in Libya’, which highlights women’s security concerns and helps clarify the cultural misunderstanding and misinterpretation of Islam in Libyan Society.

“Alaa is a natural leader, and her organization has achieved tremendous tangible impact for women both in politics and society”, said HM Queen Noor, Founder and Chair of the Noor Al Hussein and the King Hussein Foundations and Trust Women Advisory Board Member, who presented the Award to the winner. “Alaa’s bold thinking and fearless attitude are an inspiration for all women to be the architects of their own future”, HM Queen Noor added.

Award-winning author Mariane Pearl presented the Honorary Journalist Award to Neha Dixit, an investigative reporter who endured threats and intimidation attempts in order to expose gender violence and human rights violations.

Dixit was recognized for her undercover reports exposing child marriage, sex exploitation, female feticide and honour killings across South Asia. Most recently, her stories have been used by the Supreme Court of India to bring about significant legal and policy change.

“Neha is one of India’s most promising young journalists”, said Mariane Pearl, the Managing Editor of Chime for Change and Trust Women Advisory Board member who presented the Award to Neha Dixit. “Neha’s courage and willingness to risk her life to report on women’s rights abuses has had a measurable impact in South Asia, and will continue to do so for decades to come”, added Mariane Pearl.

“The Trust Women Awards are increasingly becoming internationally recognized for identifying and rewarding exceptional individuals at the forefront of women’s rights”, said Monique Villa, CEO Thomson Reuters Foundation. “This year we received over 170 very good nominations from more than 140 countries, evidence that the scope and impact of the Award is truly global”, she added.

The winners of the Trust Women Awards also received a cash prize of $5,000 each as an encouragement to continue their work and mission. The Hero Award was supported by Team SCA, the all women’s ocean racing team, which is part of SCA, a global leading hygiene and forest products company that provides personal and intimate hygiene knowledge and products for women.