Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, current Ambassador of Brazil to the United Kingdom and a distinguished member of the Jury Board of the Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women’s Empowerment, brings a wealth of experience on initiatives that support women and girls. With decades of service in diplomacy, including as Brazil’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, he emphasizes the importance of recognizing efforts that create meaningful impact.
When asked why recognizing initiatives that empower women and girls matters, he explains: “The promotion of gender equality benefits societies as a whole. Women and girls will not be able to fulfill their potential, however, if initiatives to eliminate discrimination and reduce gender inequality are not pursued. As former President of the Commission on the Status of Women, I became engaged with international efforts to promote equal pay for equal work among men and women and promote greater participation of women in politics, among other objectives. Improved opportunities for women to participate in the economy and political life of a society is sure pathway towards greater prosperity and social justice. To empower women and girls is to invest in a better future for all.”
Ambassador Patriota highlights how the Award aligns with and contributes to global progress. “The adoption of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development in 2015 represented a new consensus and a step forward for international cooperation in the promotion of social, economic and environmental objectives. By including a specific Sustainable Development Goal on the promotion of gender equality, the United Nations established a common platform for progress in empowering women and girls.”
Building on this global framework, he underscores Bahrain’s visionary leadership in establishing the Global Award. “Bahrain embraced this agenda and demonstrated a capacity for leadership in creating the award, under the auspices of Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, which recognizes efforts at different levels, institutional, governmental, private sector, civil society, or individual, and encourages societies to implement SDG number 5 with enhanced determination.”
When evaluating applications, he explains what makes an initiative stand out: “When an initiative has demonstrably had an impact on improving the livelihood of women and girls in a given community, and those responsible for implementing such policies or projects demonstrate a genuine commitment towards achieving gender equality, in line with SDG number 5, such an application will naturally deserve serious consideration.”
The Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women’s Empowerment continues to highlight exceptional initiatives worldwide. Through its four categories, public sector, private sector, civil society, and individual champions, the Award celebrates excellence and provides a USD 100,000 prize for each category, recognizing those who drive meaningful change in the lives of women and girls.