The Last Girl Awards 2025: Global Voices United To End Child Trafficking and Gender-Based Violence
Elena Olivo / Asia Society
We are excited to share highlights of our ninth annual Last Girl Awards, an annual recognition of global grassroots action to eradicate sex trafficking, in partnership with Asia Society. The program pays tribute to individuals who work to build a better world by standing up for The Last Girl—women and children made vulnerable to trafficking because of the intersecting inequalities of their lives. We were so honored to hear inspiring words from Nobel Peace Laureate Nadia Murad, human right advocate Jackie Shaprio, filmmaker and Olympian Mary Mazzio, activist Nacole Svendgard, NGO leader Taina Bien-Aimé, and feminist icon Syeda Hameed. Hosted by actor Reshma Shetty, the evening features bold reflections, lively wine reception, and a book signing with The Freedom Seeker author Ruchira Gupta. Presented in partnership with Asia Society. This year’s program was MC’d by actress Shubhra Prakash. Presenters included Mona Sinha, Lori Cohen, Bill Silverman, and Alyse Nelson.
To see photos from the ceremony, click here.
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Funds raised will provide food, hygiene items, and education to women and children in the red-light areas of India.
$ 100 = 100 meals + hygiene items or 1 month of school for a girl
For enquiries: [email protected]
The Last Girl Awards 2024: Global Voices United To End Child Trafficking and Gender-Based Violence
We are excited to share highlights of our eighth annual Last Girl Awards, an annual recognition of global grassroots action to eradicate sex trafficking, in partnership with Asia Society. The program pays tribute to individuals who work to build a better world by standing up for The Last Girl—women and children made vulnerable to trafficking because of the intersecting inequalities of their lives. We were honored to have a Keynote conversation with Nobel laureate Leymah Gbowee and our honorees actor Mira Sorvino, lawyer William Silverman, human rights leader Jessica Neuwirth, activist and survivor Melanie Thompson, activist Yasmin Vafa, and political trailblazer Margaret Alva. This year’s program was MC’d by South African actress Kaneez Surka. Presenters included Leymah Gbowee, Dorchen Leidholdt, Mona Sinha, Reshma Shetty, and Alexi Meyers.
To see photos from the ceremony, click here.
To see videos of the awards, click here.
The Last Girl Awards 2023: I Kick And I Fly The Power Of The Body
Hosted in partnership with Asia Society New York, Apne Aap was proud to hold the seventh annual Last Girl Awards, highlighting global grassroots constructive action to eradicate child sex trafficking and to honor those who have supported the cause. Honorees include Stop Trafficking US founder Catherine Ann Wilson, The Voices and Faces Project founder Anne K. Ream, Academy Award-winning producer Melissa Berton, Malikah founder and Executive Director Rana Abdelhamid, and Save Ukraine NGO founder Mykola Kuleba. Actress Sway Bhatia hosted the program while Apne Aap found and author of I Kick and I Fly Ruchira Gupta moderated the discussion. Dancer Parul Shah closed the program with a performance entitled The History of Unforgetting.
The Last Girl Awards 2022: Celebrating Grassroots Action
In 2022 at our sixth annual Last Girl Awards, we celebrated 75 years of India’s independence with Gandhi’s talisman “Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest woman whom you may have seen, and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him/her.”
We highlighted global grassroots constructive action to eradicate child sex trafficking, recognized individuals who have stood up for The Last Girl, and featured a keynote conversation with writer/activist Gloria Steinem and activists Ruchira Gupta and Ruby Sales.
The evening was kicked off with a panel with awardees Ruby Sales, legendary civil rights activist, and one of 50 civil rights leaders showcased by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, Chloe Flower, musical powerhouse and Grammy show-stopper, Tatiana Kotlyarenko, Advisor on Anti-Trafficking Issues at the Organization for Security and co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and Kendall Alaimo, survivor leader and founder of #SeatforSurvivors.
The Last Girl Awards 2021: The International Day Of The Girl
We are excited to share our fifth annual Last Girl Awards, an annual recognition of global grassroots action to eradicate sex trafficking. The program paid tribute to individuals who work to build a better world by standing up for The Last Girl—women and children made vulnerable to trafficking because of the intersecting inequalities of their lives. We were so honored to give the Last Girl Lifetime Leadership Award to Ambassador Swanee Hunt, the Last Girl Lifetime Cultural Change Award to Prof. Catharine MacKinnon, The Last Girl Champion Award posthumously to Chef Floyd Cardoz, the Last Girl Corporate Leadership Award to Basu Ratnam, and the Last Girl Changemaker award Grizelda Grootboom. The program was MC’d by actress Reshma Shetty. Presenters included Gloria Steinem, Ashley Judd, Rosanna Arquette, Vinita Belani, Mona Sinha, and Nandana Sen.
DONATEThe Last Girl Awards 2020: 1 Million Meals
In 2020, Apne Aap celebrated its fourth annual Last Girl Awards, honouring a group of visionary leaders who have dedicated their lives and work to advancing equality and freedom for the most marginalised girls and women. The Last Girl Lifetime Inspiration Award was presented to feminist icon Gloria Steinem for her decades of activism for women’s rights and social justice. The Last Girl Leadership Award was given to UN Ambassador Kaitlin Bogyay for her commitment to promoting gender equality and multilateral cooperation. The Last Girl Champion Award went to philanthropist Cheryl Saban, whose generosity and advocacy have supported countless initiatives empowering women and girls. Michelin-starred Chef Vikas Khanna received the Last Girl Compassionate Leadership Award for using his culinary platform to serve vulnerable communities with empathy and dignity. The Last Girl Cultural Change Award was presented to the creative team behind “Priya and the Lost Girls Comic” — Dipti Mehta, Syd Fini, Neda Kazemifar and Ram Devineni — for harnessing art and storytelling to shift perceptions and spark change. Finally, the Last Girl Changemaker Award was given to T Ortiz Pettigrew, recognising their dedication to innovation and justice for those most at risk of exploitation.
Together, these honorees embody courage, creativity and compassion — the values at the heart of the Last Girl movement — and their work continues to inspire Apne Aap’s mission to build a world where no girl is bought or sold.
DONATE The Last Girl Awards 2019: Celebrating The Last Girl
In 2019, Apne Aap hosted its annual Last Girl Awards on the International Day of the Girl at the New York Palace Hotel, celebrating abolitionist leaders who have stood up against sex trafficking and championed the rights of women and girls worldwide. The evening honoured Simone Monasebian, Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, for her leadership in global anti-trafficking efforts; Shandra Woworuntu, survivor leader and advocate, for transforming her personal experience into a powerful voice for justice; Rosanna Arquette, acclaimed actor and activist, for using her platform to raise awareness about exploitation and gender-based violence; Zoe Bleu Sidel, artist, poet, and actor, for inspiring young women to speak their truths through art; Nandana Sen, author, actor, and child rights activist, for her creative and fearless advocacy for girls’ empowerment; and Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson, for his commitment to corporate responsibility and ethical leadership.
The evening was hosted by Reshma Shetty (Royal Pains, Bombay Dreams) as Master of Ceremonies, with a moving spoken word performance by Staceyann Chin, author of The Other Side of Paradise. Together, the honorees and performers embodied courage, creativity, and compassion — the spirit of the Last Girl — and reaffirmed Apne Aap’s mission to create a world where no girl is bought or sold.
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