MuskaanKohli, 23, a resident of Pathankot district, has been honoured with the DianaAward for her social and humanitarian efforts. Established in the memory ofDiana, Princess of Wales, the award is given by a charity set up in her name.
The award was conferred to her in a virtual ceremony held recently. The award juryacknowledged Kohli's work for helping women in distress. She is among 30 youngsters chosen from Indiaand 300 globally in the 9 to 25 age group.
Establishedin memory of Diana, the Princess of Wales, the prize is considered to be thehighest accolade a young person can get for social action or humanitarianefforts. It is given out by the charity set up in the name of Princess Dianaand has the support of her two sons — the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke ofSussex.
Muskaan,a post-graduate in sociology from the prestigious Delhi School of Economics,works for an NGO Ladli Foundation Trust, which aims to empower theunderprivileged women and needy children.
Whenasked about her motive behind joining NGO Ladli Foundation Trust, Muskaan said,“Growing up in India, she was struck by the startling reality that so manygirls out there were being denied basic education”.
Shesaid with the aim to empower women and make them self-reliant, she startedteaching computer and communication skills to the needy girls. After hearingabout the beliefs commonly held in rural communities about women’s bodies andperiods, she said she began to run workshops dispelling these myths.
“Thesesessions empowered women by improving their understanding of their own biologywhich further helped in building their confidence and making them aware oftheir rights”, she added.
Shesaid that at present she coordinates a team of 50 volunteers, who are trying toreach more such women across India. Besides, she said she is preparing to crackthe civil services exam.
Whenasked about her future plans, Muskaan replied that she wants to be a socialchange maker. She said she believes that the well-being of women is criticalfor the development of society, and she is devoted to do whatever she can toimprove their lives.
She added that “It’s not easy to be a woman,especially if you live in rural areas. I tell all women I meet that they needto go out into the world and see what they can do for others. You can’t makeyour little home perfect if your big home is in trouble”.