Justice for Maya women in Guatemala, girls back in school in India, restored land in Mali: The UN has named its 2026 SDG Action Award winners

A legal aid group for Indigenous women in Guatemala, a movement of village mothers in rural India, and a Malian entrepreneur who restores farmland have won this year's UN SDG Action Awards.

The winners were announced at the ninth Heroes of Tomorrow awards ceremony in Rome, Italy, run by the UN SDG Action Campaign. They were chosen from more than 7,000 entries from 190 countries.

Nine finalists were shortlisted for three categories: resilience, creativity and changemaker.

The Resilience Award went to the Women's Justice Initiative. Many indigenous women in Guatemala face high rates of violence, poverty and discrimination, made worse by language barriers and a lack of access to information. The initiative helps women and girls get access to justice and lead change in their communities. According to the organization, more than 16,000 women and girls have participated.

"I accept the UN SDG Action Award in the honour of the Maya Kaqchikel women and girls in Guatemala who are building a more just future for their communities. Ending violence against women requires all of us. Only together, we can build a future where every woman and girl lives with dignity and realizes her full potential," said Viviana Patal, the initiative's legal director.

Keeping girls in school in India

The Creativity Award was given to Mothers of Courage, a grassroots campaign that aims to keep girls in education in rural India. Its organizers say more than 1.2 million people have joined and pledged to keep their daughters in education and to prevent early marriage.

"This award today belongs to all the mothers in those villages, all the women leaders, who are working hard to change the destinies of their daughters and their daughters-in-law," said Khushboo Awasthi, Mothers of Courage's chief curator.

"Together, let's create a world where no girl ever has to negotiate for her right to dream and to aspire and to thrive."

Trees and livelihoods in Mali

The Changemaker Award when to Malian entrepreneur Rokiatou Traore. Her organization, Herou Alliance, helps women and small farmers bring worn-out land back to life by planting trees alongside their crops. The trees also help farmers generate extra revenue, allowing them to sell products from moringa and other valuable trees.

"Receiving this award means a lot to me. It is a reminder of why I started this journey," said Traore. "I invite you all to join us, to plant more trees, to empower more women, and above all, to create a future full of opportunities for communities for today and for future generations."   

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women and Girls received an honorable mention. Speaking about the award, President of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq Jannat Al Ghezi paid a tearful tribute to its founder Yanar Mohammed, who was assassinated outside her home in Baghdad in March.

'Be that change'

UN Assistant Secretary-General Michelle Muschett said the finalists "remind us that the future is something we create together and that each of us has the power to help shape it and open doors for the next generations."

"When they tell you that one person cannot make a difference, prove them wrong," UN SDG Action Campaign Director Marina Ponti told the audience. "Change has always begun with people who refused to accept that the world could not be different. So be courageous. Be persistent. Be that change."

How are the awards organized?

A panel of 20 judges from UN leadership, government, civil society, the arts, business and youth activism chose the winners. They included UN Development Programme Administrator Alexander De Croo, Oxfam International Executive Director Amitabh Behar, and Otto Group Vice President Tobias Wollermann.

The awards are run by the UN SDG Action Campaign, a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General. The campaign supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals, 17 targets adopted by member states that cover areas including poverty, hunger, education, gender equality and climate protection.

The awards are supported by Italy's Foreign Ministry and Germany's Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Editor's Note: DW Director General Barbara Massing was a member of the 20-person jury panel.