This year’s prestigious Asian Women of Achievement (AWA) Media Award has been scooped by Balvinder Sidhu, an investigative journalist and presenter for ITV News Central. Balvinder, who was up against five other journalists, including The Sunday Times’ Royal Correspondent, stood out for judges who were struck by her fearlessness.
Trophies were presented, each by a sponsor or VIP, to winners across 10 categories. Guests, resplendent in dazzling outfits, entered the Hilton Park Lane through its swivelling doors and headed up the red-carpeted stairs to the champagne reception, then to The Ballroom where the awards were presented. The ceremony, which included a four-course meal, took place last Wednesday (May 9). The Master of Ceremonies was BBC London News’ Riz Lateef.
Simone G Malik, one of the UK’s only female Asian painters, clinched the award for Arts & Culture. The Entrepreneur Award went to Asma Khan, founder of Darjeeling Express, a restaurant in London. Human rights lawyer Yasmin Waljee OBE won the Business Award. She is, said judges, a force for change, doing everything she can to ensure justice is accessible to all.Dr Farah Ahmed who has an international reputation for her achievements in X-ray micro-CT won the Professions Award. The Public Service Award went to Dr Pooja Saini, a powerful ambassador for mental health reform.
Multi-talented Dr Ishani Patel, a leading GP in Tower Hamlets and co-founder of technology engagement platform, Lantum, scooped the Science & Technology Award. The recipient of the Social & Humanitarian Award was Kalbir Bains. Kalbir suffers from dyslexia and it’s testament to her commitment, said judges, to empower others. She’s also the author of ‘Not Our Daughter! The True Story of a Daughter-in-law’.
Halima Khan beat off stiff competition to win the Sport Award. As founder of Opening Boundaries, Halima is an inspirational role model. Judges praised Halima for using sport to empower women, to influence a change of mindset and to challenge issues of gender-based violence in sport.
The joint winners of the Young Achiever Award were Maya Ghazal and Dr Jenny Tran. In 2015, 15-year-old Maya arrived in England as a refugee. She could speak no English and was turned away from schools. Maya looked to The Children’s Society for support. Now she helps the charity and others tackle the issues young refugees and migrants face. Dr Tran is a medical doctor and founding Chair of CHASE, a not-for-profit health mentoring programme.
The awards, now in their 19th year, this year raised £10k for Frank Water, a Bristol headquartered charity; that’s £5k through a raffle, match-funded by the Hemraj Goyal Foundation. Frank Water, since its inception in 2005, has provided safe water, sanitation and hygiene training to over 386,000 people in 440 villages across India and Nepal. But there are still, says the charity’s CEO Katie Alcott, 663 million people in the world without access to safe drinking water and 2.4 billion without a toilet.
The AWA Awards are the brainchild of Pinky Lilani CBE DL, a humble lady. Donning a blue sari on the night, she smiled “shukar”, translating to ‘I’m ever so grateful to God’, adding, “I feel enormously proud to stand with this group of such inspiring women.” She was sat on the top table along with her husband, Baroness Valerie Amos, actress Amrit Maghera, Deputy Chief of Mission for the US Embassy in London and Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex. Sir Nicholas Young, former CEO of The British Red Cross, once again chaired the panel of 21 judges, comprising15 women and 6 men.
