The Award underlines the Foundation’s effort to recognize different forms of activism and amplify multiple stories of change across India.

New Delhi: Martha Farrell Foundation, a Civil Society Organisation committed to achieving a gender-just society and promoting life-long learning, is hosting the 5th Martha Farrell Awards on November 20th at India Islamic Cultural Center, New Delhi. The annual award was jointly instituted by Martha Farrell Foundation, Rizwan Adatia Foundation (RAF), and Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) in honor of Dr. Farrell and the principles she lived by, is a first-of-its-kind initiative to discover, recognize and honor mid-career individuals and dedicated institutions, which have made significant contributions in the field of women’s empowerment and gender equality. The 5th edition is currently given out through a partnership between MFF, PRIA, and Rural Development Trust (RDT).

The award comprises two main categories; Most Promising Individual; Best Organization for Gender Equality. A Special Jury Award in both categories was also instituted in the year 2019.  The award also consists of prize money of INR 1,50,000 for main category awardees and INR 1,00,000 for Special Jury awards.

Speaking on the announcement, Nandita Bhatt, Director of Martha Farrell Foundation, said – “Over the years, we have witnessed more and more nominations coming in from across the country, which indicates the growing popularity of the Martha Farrell Award (MFA). We strongly believe that this initiative will bring about a transformational change in society and promote gender mainstreaming in institutions and that’s what matters the most.”

The nominations for the 5th Martha Farrell Award (2021) closed on January 10th, 2021. A total of 120 nominations (66 nominations in the individual category and 54 nominations in the organization category) from 22 states of India were received, comprising a wide variety of individuals (social activists, professionals, educators, media-persons, government officials, entrepreneurs) and organizations (grassroots, non-profits, academic, media and social enterprise).

Established in September 2015, Martha Farrell Foundation is dedicated to the values which Dr.Martha held so close to her throughout life. Following in the footsteps of Dr.Martha’s pioneering work, which includes gender mainstreaming in institutions, preventing sexual harassment and violence against women, and continuing education, the Foundation focuses on bridging the gap of gender equality and empowering women across sectors.