The winners of the UN SDG Action Awards 2026 include a legal group for indigenous women in Guatemala, a movement of mothers in India, and an entrepreneur in Mali, who were introduced at the Champions of Tomorrow ceremony in Rome.
SDG Award Winners
These winners were selected from over 7,000 applications from 190 countries. Nine finalists were chosen in three categories: Resilience, Creativity, and Change-Making.
The Resilience Award was given to the Women's Justice Initiative. Many indigenous women in Guatemala face high rates of violence, poverty, and discrimination, exacerbated by language barriers and lack of access to information. This initiative helps women and girls achieve justice and lead change in their communities. According to the organization's information, over 16,000 women and girls have participated in this program.
Testimony and Recognition
Viviana Patal, the legal director of this initiative, stated that this award is dedicated to the Maya Q'echi women in Guatemala, saying, "Ending violence against women requires the collaboration of all of us. Only together can we create a future where every woman and girl lives with dignity and reaches her full potential."
The Change-Maker Award was also given to Malian entrepreneur, Rokiatou Traore. Her organization, the Herou Alliance, helps women and smallholder farmers restore degraded lands by planting trees alongside their crops. These trees help farmers earn additional income and sell valuable tree products like moringa.
The UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women and Girls was also recognized. Janat Al Ghazi, head of the Women's Freedom Organization in Iraq, spoke emotionally about this award in memory of its founder, Yanar Mohammed, who was assassinated last March in Baghdad.
Mitchell Mushket, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, said, "The finalists remind us that the future is something we create together, and each of us has the ability to shape it and open doors for future generations."
A 20-member jury from UN leadership, government, civil society, arts, business, and young activists selected the winners. These awards are managed under the UN SDG Action Campaign, which is a special initiative by the UN Secretary-General supporting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which include areas such as poverty, hunger, education, and gender equality.
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