Student breaks glass ceiling named Young Activist of the Year
The winners of the 2009 SMK Campaigner Awards were announced at aspecial ceremony hosted by
Channel 4 newscaster Jon Snow at St Martin-in-the-Fields offTrafalgar Square. The awards recognise the outstanding contribution that a new generation of campaigners are making towards achieving social, environmental and economic justice both in the UK and abroad.
Barbara Soetan, aged only 22, won this year's Young Activist Awardfor her campaign "Visible Women" to challenge the under-representation of womenin certain industries and senior management positions.
Barbara Soetan wins the SMK Young Activist Award, presented by Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty
(Downloada full size version at http://www.flickr.com/photos/campaigners/3929192908/in/set-72157622396464728/and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/campaigners/3928872460/in/set-72157622396464728/)
Barbara Soetan won this year's Young Activist Award. Barbara became aware of the inequalities which women face through studying the glass ceiling theory. Her campaign aims to inspire and engage female students inhigher education to become more competitive in the workplace by effectively channelling their aspirations and career interests into tangible outcomes. The campaign is entirely youth led and wants students tobecome the future driving force in challenging the under-representation ofwomen in certain industries and senior management positions and in turn promoting a unique leadership that women bring to the fore.
Jon Snow, Patron of SMK said:
"I am thrilled to be standing here in her (Sheila McKechnie's) honour with these wonderful Sheila McKechnie Awards, andthe sheer diversity of the people who have both been nominated and eventually wonthese awards is itself a testament to the kind of work that we remember her for."
Also see the video footage from the awards ceremony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW2c5JJ2W8U
For more information contact Barbara Soetan Barbara@elevationenterprise.com