The Vanitha Ratna Awards is a prestigious honor given to women in Kerala who have done impressive work in different fields. The award is given as part of the Women’s Day celebration held in Thiruvananthapuram by the State government. Shantha Jose, Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, Dr Sunitha Krishnan and Dr UPV Sudha are the four women who have won the Vanitha Ratna Awards 2022. They will receive the award on Women’s Day at the Nishagandhi auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram.
Here’s a bit about the winners:
Shantha Jose is the founder of Asraya Voulteer Organisation that provides care and support to underprivileged cancer patients of Regional Cancer Centre (RCC). Every volunteer is trained by the nursing staff and medical personnel at RCC. The organisation has helped many cancer patients by giving them an opportunity to feel happy and hopeful.
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Vaikom Vijayalakshmi is a well-known playback singer in Kerala. As a visually challenged person, it wasn’t easy growing up. She sought solace in music and that became her motivation to live life fully. Her parents, V Muraleedharan and P Vimala, discovered her singing talent when she was just three years old. Did you know that she is an expert at playing a rare musical instrument called the Gayathri veena?
Dr Sunitha Krishnan has dedicated her life to fighting against human trafficking. She has saved more than 17,000 people from sex trafficking. As the co-founder of Prajwala, an NGO crusading against human trafficking, she has sacrificed a lot in her life, including selling her jewellery and household items, to save people from being trafficked. In fact, she has also educated over 8,000 children from vulnerable and underprivileged communities.
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Dr UPV Sudha is an Aerospace scientist in the Aeronautical Development Agency, which is a part of DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organisation). She was one of the main contributors to the development of an indigenous warplane and an Unmanned Strike Aircraft Vehicle.
Apart from receiving the citation, each winner of the Vanitha Ratna Awards 2022 will receive INR 1 lakh. The award will be presented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
