Rajasthan Teen Honoured With Prestigious Global Changemaker Award In The US For Her Movement Against Child Marriages

In a proud development for India, Payal Jangid, a teenager from Rajasthan has received the Changemaker Award at the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards in the United States (US).

Presented by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the award is in recognition of her campaign against child labour and child marriage.

The Gates Foundation has also shared Jangid's story on Twitter. In the video, Jangid reveals how she had to fight her own family who wanted her to tie the knot at a young age.

Jangid also shared how she united children from several villages across the state who went door-to-door to raise awareness about issues such as child education and the menace of child marriage. Jangid also added that her campaign had many tasks such as organising rallies, putting up posters and interacting with people about the issues.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi has praised Jangid's efforts and the prize for her.

Satyarthi, in his tweet, said, "Sumedha ji and I are so proud & moved to watch our daughter Payal receiving Changemaker Award from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation now in New York. She refused her marriage and her entire village was free from child marriages & labour."

Payal is a resident of Thanagaazi in Alwar district. She is just 17-years-old. Her father is a farmer and her mother is a housewife.

Payal has previously been associated with Kailash Satyarthi's Bachpan Bachao Aandolan and has also worked with The World's Children's Prize (WCP) as its jury member.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)