Delhi: When at 11, when Payal Jangid stood her ground and fought against getting married, and succeeded, little did she know it would spark a huge change. The 17-year-old was conferred with the Changemaker Award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards held in New York on Wednesday. She is also the first Indian to receive the award.
“This recognition will further encourage me to continue my fight to e
nd all forms of exploitation of children,” she said. She received the award from Amina J Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, and thanked her mentors, Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi and child rights activist Sumedha Kailash.
The Rajasthan girl since her personal fight has become an advocate for abolishing against child labour and child marriage. She is recognised for her work in her village, Hinsla, and other neighbouring villages. She has successfully made hers a child-friendly village (Bal Mitra Gram).
The award honours young activists, campaigners, and innovators across the globe for sparking change, as per the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Its three-fold objectives include ending poverty, fighting inequality, and injustice, and fixing climate change.