United Nations Population Award 2025

Varsha Deshpande, a prominent Indian women’s rights activist, has been awarded the 2025 United Nations Population Award in the individual category. This prestigious global honor, now in its 40th edition, recognizes her decades of dedicated work promoting gender equality and reproductive rights. The announcement was made by the United Nations in New York on July 10, 2025.

Varsha Deshpande’s Contributions:

• Pioneering Work: Ms. Deshpande, who serves as the secretary of the Maharashtra-based Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal, has been recognized for over 35 years of pioneering work in combating gender-based violence and discrimination.
• Focus on Sex-Selective Abortions: A key area of her advocacy has been addressing gender-biased sex selection, which contributes to the declining child sex ratio in India.
• Founding Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal: She founded the organization in 1990 with the mission to champion gender justice and empower marginalized women through a multi-faceted approach including legal reform, education, and grassroots mobilization.
• Leadership in Advocacy: The UN specifically lauded her leadership in community-driven advocacy and reform under India’s Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.

About the UN Population Award:

• Establishment: The UN Population Award was established in 1981.
• Purpose: It honors individuals and institutions for their outstanding contributions to the fields of population and reproductive health.
• Prize: Recipients receive a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary prize.

(Source: TH)