World Pulse Spirit Awards 2020 Celebrations

Attended World Pulse Spirit Awards online yesterday that honours and celebrates exemplary women from around the world for their contribution to uplift other women and following a stringent process involving receiving nominations and going through a panel of jury.

The Grand Prize winners of World Pulse Spirit Awards this year are Nini Mappo from Kenya, Kirthi Jayakumar from India and Regina Afanwi Young from Cameroon. Awardees for storyteller, champion and activator categories are Ajt Ikirimat Grace, Anjana, Basudha Modak, Adriana Greenblatt, Marie Abanga Global and Veronica Ngum Ndi.

These women, most of them personally known to me, are most compassionate, brilliant, humble, knowledgeable, resourceful and inspiring women doing amazing work on ground as well as uplifting women in their communities and on World Pulse platform.

The award ceremony was beautifully conducted by my dear sister Busayo Owojori-Obisakin and fellow Ambassador from Nigeria. The speech given by our Amazon, Founder and CEO of World Pulse, Jensine Larsen moved us to tears when she shared the vision with which she had started World Pulse and to reflect on where we have reached now. My heart was warmed to see familiar faces of women I love so much- Beth Lacey from New York, Jill Langhus-Griffin from Spain, Jessica Robinson the new chairman of Board of Directors of World Pulse, Paulina Lawsin Nayra from Phillipines, Dawn Arteaga from New York and others.

I was asked to say a few words on the happy occasion as a winner of the awards last year and I decided to talk about the essence of World Pulse Spirit Awards. Fellow awardees Tamarack Verrall from Canada spoke about the power of global sisterhood in fighting against gender based violence and Arrey Echi from Cameroon spoke about the importance of "coming together of women" and the collective flame made up of our individual torches of leadership.

To me, World Pulse Spirit Awards is the embodiment of the spirit of women connected to each other on World Pulse. In times when online violence is the new kind of violence against women, trolling, online harassment, cyber crimes and bullying, and so much of toxicity online as a norm globally, it is only on World Pulse that women "are" and "feel" safe, they are heard, understood, accepted, loved, valued, helped and supported. The support received on World Pulse makes women members feel they are talented, wise, smart, beautiful, compassionate and no matter what bad patch of life women may be transitioning through, this encouragement and love serves to build them into empowered women who do well not just for themselves, their families and community but for other women also.

Not one single night in the decade I have been a community member of World Pulse did I sleep with a troubled heart from an interaction on World Pulse, because each and every interaction was respectful, meaningful and useful.

The other trait of the World Pulse spirit is how women speak for themselves, irrespective of their language, diction, communication skills because women believe they know their truth best. This women's leadership is what is needed the most in the world to expedite gender equality.

A big congratulations to all the winners as we pass on the light and make way for you to light the torches of other women with yours.

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