17-year Old Youth Activist Payal Jhangid Becomes the First Indian to Win the Goalkeepers Global Goals Changemaker Award

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time, a citizen of India has won the Changemaker Award at the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards. The awardee, Payal Jhangid, is a 17-year old youth activist who has been fighting to abolish child marriage in Rajasthan, India.

Payal's fight to stop child marriage is personal. Her own parents attempted to arrange a marriage for her when she was 13-years old. She voiced her objection and as a result, her parents relented, and the marriage was prevented. Since that life changing event, she has planned rallies, organized protests, and engaged with various women's groups and youth forums in her village and surrounding villages. As the president of the local Children's Council, she spearheads numerous activities that empower women and children in her own village and villages nearby.

Payal is one of the many torchbearers of Kailash Satyarthi, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his ongoing efforts to eliminate child labor and exploitation. "I extend my deepest gratitude to my mentor, Shri Kailash Satyarthi for inspiring me to work towards the promotion of child rights. It is because of him that I have been able to raise my voice against the social evil of child marriage and stopped my own marriage," said Payal. "This recognition will further encourage me to continue my fight to end all forms of exploitation of children."

"Young people like Payal are using their powerful voices to change the world," praised Satyarthi. "Thanks to people like Payal, change and hope are knocking on our doors. The world needs to be prepared for this new generation of activists. Their activism, dedication and bravery are already moving leaders to make changes and I know there is more to come."

Bill and Melinda Gates, co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, co-hosted the fourth annual Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards on September 24 in New York to celebrate outstanding work around the world that is directly linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals).

Payal has also been recognized by several other organizations for her courageous work. She received the Young Achiever Award from Reebok in 2017. And, in 2013 the Swedish Council chose her as a member of the jury for World Children's Prize.

About Bal Mitra Gram (BMG^TM)/Child-Friendly Village
Bal Mitra Gram (BMG ™) or Child-Friendly Village model is a 3-5 year preventive and a curative strategy aimed at creating a child-friendly world. In a child-friendly village, all children are withdrawn from labor and exploitation, enrolled in schools, and participate in the decision-making process through democratically elected children's councils or children's parliament (Bal Panchayat) that raise issues related to child rights in the village and coordinate with the local government and the Village Panchayat, to realize these rights.

About The Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation US
The Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation U.S. is dedicated to eradicating child labor and child exploitation by educating and mobilizing the public, engaging the private sector to prioritize children in their business models, building capacity of partners on the ground and advocating for the protection of children in national and international policies. For more details, visit: https://satyarthi-us.org

SOURCE The Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation US