Justice for Maya women in Guatemala, girls back in school in India, restored land in Mali: The UN has named its 2026 SDG Action Award winners
Champions of indigenous women's rights in Guatemala, girls' education in India, and restored farmland in Mali all featured among the winners of UN's SDG Action Awards.
The United Nations has announced its 2026 SDG Action Award winners, recognizing three organizations making significant strides toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The winners were honoured at the ninth Heroes of Tomorrow awards ceremony in Rome, Italy, which was organized by the UN SDG Action Campaign. Over 7,000 entries were received from 190 countries, from which a shortlist of nine finalists was narrowed down to three categories: resilience, creativity, and changemaker.
The Resilience Award was bestowed upon the Women's Justice Initiative, a legal aid group in Guatemala working to empower Indigenous women who face high rates of violence, poverty, and discrimination. The organization's efforts to provide women and girls access to justice and community leadership have helped over 16,000 individuals.
The Creativity Award went to Mothers of Courage, a grassroots campaign in rural India advocating for girls' education and prevention of early marriage. The campaign has garnered over 1.2 million supporters who pledge to keep their daughters in school and protect their future prospects.
The Changemaker Award was presented to Malian entrepreneur Rokiatou Traore, whose Herou Alliance works to restore farmland by planting trees alongside crops. The initiative not only improves the land but also generates additional income for farmers through the sale of valuable tree products like moringa. Traore expressed gratitude for the recognition and invited others to join in planting trees and empowering women for a brighter future.
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