Two Indians were among the seven young girls honoured with the UN Special Envoy for Global Education's Youth Courage Award for Education as part of 'Malala Day' celebrations at the world body.
Special awards were given to seven young girls from around the world for their courage and achievement to promote the cause of girl's education and dignity of women.
Among them were two Indians, 21-year-old Ashwini from Bangalore and 15-year-old Razia from Uttar Pradesh who were awarded with UN Special Envoy for Global Education's Youth Courage Award for Education.
Malala's Pakistani friend Shazia, who was hurt when Taliban shot Malala last year, was also awarded along with girls from Bangladesh, Nepal, Morocco and Sierra Leone.
Ashwini was awarded for fighting against odds to study, then using that education to campaign for other children with disabilities and to enable them to achieve the education they deserve.
She was born with a visual impairment. Ashwini was brought up in a poor rural community in Karnataka and fought circumstances to complete her Bachelors degree.
She overcame the odds, achieved great grades and got an excellent job with an IT firm, but gave it up to campaign for other children with disabilities.
Ashwini now works for Leonard Cheshire Disability, a NGO based in Bangalore and she was accompanied to the function by Sherly Abraham, national coordinator of the Leonard Cheshire Disability to the Youth Assembly.
Razia was feted for her contribution to education of children. She is a former child labourer who stitched footballs, struggled and succeeded to pull herself from exploitation to education.
She passed her 11th grade against all odds and now works in her community to help withdraw children from work, and enrol them in schools.
Razia helped 48 children in her community last year to get out of work and join a school.
Over 500 youngsters, mostly young girl leaders from around the world, convened at the UN to support Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's 'Global Education First Initiative' and its goals to ensure that all children, especially girls, are in school and learning by 2015.
