Taniya Sultana Laskar, a resident of Doyapur village in Assam's Cachar District received the esteemed Special Jury Award (Individual) at the 8th Martha Farrell Awards for Excellence in Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality.
The award ceremony took place on September 29, 2024 at the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Cluster Office in New Delhi, where Laskar was recognized among four winners selected from a competitive pool of 251 nominations across 24 states and union territories in India.
Taniya Laskar is a feminist lawyer from Assam's Barak Valley. Practising at the Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Cachar, Silchar, she provides pro-bono legal services to grassroots communities, making justice more accessible for marginalized groups. She also engages in legal interventions, research, and building legal literacy in these communities.
“I have lived in Assam all my life, including my journey to becoming a lawyer. This award inspires me to give back even more to society. I call upon young people to work for marginalized communities,” said Taniya Laskar.
She added, “We need more organizations to be accessible and welcoming to women. Wherever I work, I ensure they have a gender-inclusive policy and an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in place.”
“Taniya has been working earnestly on women's issues, and her efforts are crucial for the Barak region,” said Nirmal Kumar Das, former Vice Chairperson, Barak Human Rights Protection Committee.
Taniya's former law teacher, Rumi Dhar, also shared her pride in Taniya's achievements, stating, "Since her LLB days, Taniya has been sincere, dedicated, and focused on her work. She was an obedient and hardworking student, with strong opinions on social issues. I feel proud to have been her teacher."
Taniya has worked across six districts of Assam (Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, and Nogaon), addressing various human rights issues. To date, she has counseled over 1,000 survivors of violence and filed 40 domestic violence cases. She is also the co-founder of Sexuality and Gender Equality (SAGE), a queer rights organization.
“This award is a recognition of the grassroots work being done for women’s empowerment and gender equality. We are elated that Taniya received the Special Jury Award, and we believe she will continue to inspire many others,” said Nandita Pradhan Bhatt, Director, Martha Farrell Foundation.
About The Martha Farrell Award for Excellence in Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality: The award has been instituted in memory of Dr. Farrell and her ideals. It is a first-of-its-kind initiative to discover, recognise and honour mid-career individuals and committed institutions, that have made valuable contributions in areas of work related to women’s empowerment and gender equality.
The annual award is given in two categories - Most Promising Individual and Best Organisation for Gender Equality - with prize money of Rs 1,50,000 each. Since 2020, a Special Jury Award has been given in each category to promising finalists, with prize money of Rs 1,00,000 each.
About Dr. Martha Farrell (1959-2015): She was a passionate civil society leader, renowned and respected in India and around the world for her work on women’s rights, gender equality and adult education. The Martha Farrell Foundation (MFF) takes forward the spirit and legacy of Dr. Farrell, forwarding her path-breaking work towards gender mainstreaming and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence in the private, professional and public spheres. MFF envisions a world in which all formal and informal learning and working spaces are safe and gender equitable.