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Summary
Joy Oluwatoyin as 22-year-old feminist has been awarded the prestigious Diana 2024 Award for her great work and contributions to advocating for gender equality and women's rights in Nigeria.
Trailblazing 22-year-old feminist Joy Oluwatoyin Adeboye, founder of the Resilient Girl Initiative, has been honoured with the prestigious 2024 Diana Award for her outstanding humanitarian contributions to advocating for gender equality and rights for women.
Joy, a recent graduate of Adekunle Ajasi University (AAUA), was honoured with The Diana Award at Buckingham Palace, United Kingdom, for her work in addressing gender inequalities and supporting the rights of young women through her non-profit, Resilient Girls Initiative.
According to Buckingham Palace, the Diana Award is the highest accolade a young person can achieve for their efforts in social action or humanitarian work. This recognition is especially meaningful as it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Diana Award, a programme established in memory of Princess Diana, Princess of Wales, United Kingdom.
Awarding over 191 recipients across the UK and around the world. Joy was among the top recipients from Nigeria, who were recognised for demonstrating their ability to inspire and mobilise new generations to serve their communities and create long-lasting change on a global scale.
Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, who conferred the prestigious award to Joy, said,
“My mother’s belief in the power of young people to drive positive change continues to inspire me. No matter the challenges we face, whether it’s climate change, mental health or systemic injustices, her legacy and the efforts of young people to inspire further action in the world fill me with hope.”
The Diana Award is the Highest global award that any young person can receive for social action and humanitarian work. Reacting to the award, Joy expressed her gratitude, stating that it marks the beginning of her global transformative change. Dedicating the award to her mother, Ms Adeboye, who supports her advocacy, she further expressed gratitude to her team at Resilient Girl Initiative.
“I am inspired daily by the power of my voice in turning my traumas into impact through collective action,” she stated.“I thank my teams at the Resilient Girl Initiative for their dogged efforts in leading social action.”
The Resilient Girl Initiative is a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering women and girls and tackling sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), period poverty, economic inequality, self-esteem and leadership mentorship, and sustainable development practices, impacting over 20,000 women and girls.
As a sexual violence survivor, in 2020, Joy was only 18 years old when she prosecuted the first convicted sex offender in her community, showing courage and resilience despite facing threats and violence. She has mobilised over 5,000 young women and girls for community interventions against SGBV. Her initiatives continue to provide mentorship, leadership training, and economic tools, equipping young girls to overcome challenges and build brighter futures.
As such, Joy further expressed gratitude to those who contributed to achieving the award.
“I want to thank Roseline Adewuyi and Tobi Raji for being wonderful women in my life through mentorship and constant support. Your guidance and dedication have been instrumental in shaping my vision and mission to uplift women and girls. This award is as much yours as it is mine.”
This year’s Diana Global Award was empowered through a British Airways Crowdfunder, Milan Paul Kumar BCyA, Dimitrios Varsamis, Hannah Walton, Cassandra Johnson, and Charles Combes. Previously, Joy was the finalist at the 2024 .ORG Global Impact Award
