Varsha Deshpande, a women’s rights activist from Satara, Maharashtra, was awarded the 2025 United Nations Population Award in the individual category. She is the third Indian to receive this award after Indira Gandhi (1983) and JRD Tata (1992).
About Varsha Deshpande
- Founder & Secretary: Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal (est. 1990) — works for rural, socially backward women.
- Notable Campaigns:
- Prevention of sex-selective abortions via sting operations and legal awareness.
- Worked extensively under the PCPNDT Act to curb gender-biased sex selection (GBSS).
- Empowered adolescent girls to resist child marriage and engaged men and boys in gender equality discussions.
- Advocated for joint property registration to ensure women’s access to assets.
- Promoted vocational training and financial independence of rural women.
- Member of statutory bodies for enforcement of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.
Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal
- An NGO founded by Deshpande in 1990.
- Works for:
- Gender justice
- Empowering Dalit and rural women
- Upliftment through legal awareness, education, and asset access
About UN Population Award:
- Established: 1981 by UN General Assembly (Resolution 36/201)
- First awarded: 1983
- Award Includes: Gold medal, diploma & monetary prize
- Categories: Individual and Institutional
- Selection Committee:
- 8 UN Member States
- UN Secretary-General and UNFPA Executive Director as ex-officio members
Previous Indian Awardees
| Year | Recipient | Category |
| 1983 | Indira Gandhi | Individual |
| 1992 | JRD Tata | Individual |
| 2020 | HelpAge India | Institutional |
| 2025 | Varsha Deshpande | Individual |
Significance:
- Recognises grassroots activism in fighting gender-based discrimination and promoting reproductive rights.
- Highlights India’s continued global contribution to population and reproductive health advocacy.
- Encourages legal activism, community mobilisation, and policy-level engagement for women’s empowerment.
Key Facts:
- PCPNDT Act: Enacted in 1994, amended in 2003 – bans prenatal sex determination and regulates genetic testing.
- UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund): Leads the UN Population Award initiative.
- HelpAge India: Indian NGO awarded in 2020 for its work with elderly populations.
- UNFPA is the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency.
- India has been implementing laws like PCPNDT Act (1994) to prevent sex-selective abortion.