December 9, 2025
By Muhammad Junaid
KATHMANDU
In a region grappling with entrenched patriarchy and widening gender disparities, stories of resistance often emerge from the most unexpected corners, a bustling auto stand in Chennai, a remote district in Balochistan, or a Dalit settlement in Khulna. This year’s 4th Kamla Bhasin Awards for Driving Gender Equality Across South Asia brought these voices to the fore, celebrating individuals who have rewritten the narrative of gender justice through grit, community mobilisation and quiet, persistent rebellion.
Held on 27th November 2025 at the TEWA Centre in Kathmandu, the ceremony honoured four changemakers: Mohana Sundari (India) and Sanjog Thakuri (Nepal) as the main award recipients, and Moni Rani (Bangladesh) and Atta ul Haq (Pakistan) as Special Jury Award winners.
The awards commemorate the legacy of Kamla Bhasin , the South Asian feminist icon whose rallying cry ‘Men of quality are not afraid of equality’ continues to inspire a generation of gender rights advocates. In her lifetime, Bhasin championed community organising, feminist education and the importance of engaging men in dismantling patriarchy.
Established in 2021 by the Azad Foundation, the award recognises outstanding individuals from eight South Asian nations who are building gender-just societies, often in spaces where resistance comes at personal and political cost.
Breaking Barriers on the Streets of Chennai
One of this year’s winners, Mohana Sundari, is an auto-rickshaw driver whose presence in Chennai’s male-dominated transport sector began as an act of necessity but grew into a collective movement. She co-founded Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS), the city’s first autonomous union of women auto drivers, which now supports hundreds in acquiring licences, training, loans and safe working conditions.
Receiving the award in Kathmandu, Mohana spoke with the calm conviction of someone long accustomed to fighting stereotypes.
“This society has always discouraged women drivers,” she said.
“Our goal is to bring at least 3,000 women into this sector by 2030. I dedicate this award to every member of VPMS.”
For Mohana, the award also marked her first trip to Nepal, and, as she said, an encounter with Kamla Bhasin’s legacy that she will “carry back home”.
Transforming Masculinities in Nepal
In Nepal, Sanjog Thakuri has been challenging patriarchy by looking inward, beginning with young men and boys. Through Hami DajuVai, the organisation he founded, Sanjog promotes shared domestic responsibilities, supports girls’ education and works to reduce gender-based violence.
One of his biggest contributions is advising the Government of Nepal’s Male Leaders’ Network, an initiative aimed at mobilising men as allies in gender justice.
At the ceremony, he reflected on how receiving an award bearing Kamla Bhasin’s name deepened his sense of responsibility. “I hope I will continuously reinforce the belief that men can participate, engage, and be feminists,” he said.
“Change must begin within ourselves — in our thoughts and daily practices.”
Sanjog announced that half the award amount will support his organisation’s long-delayed Men and Masculinities Journal, highlighting his commitment to feminist scholarship in Nepal.
Championing Dalit Women’s Rights in Bangladesh
The Special Jury Award for Bangladesh went to Moni Rani, a formidable voice for Dalit women and the first Dalit member of the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh. Through the Dalit Women Forum, she has built leadership among marginalised communities and pushed for access to state services, education and dignified livelihoods.
Unable to travel due to ill health, her award was received by fellow activist Nadira Pervin.
Moni’s absence was deeply felt at the ceremony, where many acknowledged the institutional barriers she has challenged over the years.
From Balochistan, A Call for Self-Reform and Social Action
Pakistan’s recipient of the Special Jury Award was Atta ul Haq, founder of the Youth Association for Development (YAD) in Balochistan. His work focuses on engaging men and boys to counter harmful masculinities, advocate for women’s inheritance rights and ensure girls’ access to higher education, beginning with his own family.
In a powerful reflection, he spoke of change starting from within: “Change does not happen through empty slogans; it happens through action. A society that denies women equality is incomplete and narrow-minded.”
Atta’s speech drew warm applause from the audience, many of whom said his clarity on masculinity and social reform embodied Kamla Bhasin’s teachings.
A Legacy That Continues to Shape South Asia
The awards ceremony was attended by jury members Dr. Binda Pandey (Nepal) and Munizae Jahangir (Pakistan). Veteran Nepali activist Chandani Joshi delivered a keynote address urging South Asia to expand feminist alliances beyond borders, and to confront the resurgence of conservative ideologies across the region.
The jury this year was chaired by renowned diplomat and human rights advocate Radhika Coomaraswamy (Sri Lanka).
At the closing session, organisers announced that the 5th Kamla Bhasin Awards will also be held at TEWA, Kathmandu on 30th November 2026, aligned once again with South Asian Women’s Day. Applications will open on International Women’s Day, 8th March 2026.
Why These Awards Matter
In a region where gender-based violence remains pervasive, and where women’s labour, paid and unpaid, continues to be undervalued, the Kamla Bhasin Awards serve as both recognition and resistance. They honour ordinary citizens undertaking extraordinary work: driving autos, mentoring youth, building unions, organising grassroots communities.
They also reinforce Kamla Bhasin’s belief that gender equality is not the responsibility of women alone, it requires men to confront their own privilege, challenge patriarchal systems and share power.
The 2025 cohort demonstrates that the struggle for gender justice is as alive as ever, on South Asia’s streets, in its villages, and across its borders.