Bangladeshi student Sanjida Islam Choya has been named to the list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2022 – published by the BBC on Tuesday – for her role in the fight against child marriage.
Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, but Sanjida Islam Choya is trying to change that, reported the BBC.
Her own mother was married at a young age, but after Sanjida was inspired by a school presentation on the effects of child marriage, she decided to act.
She, her friends, teachers and collaborators call themselves Ghashforing (grasshoppers) and report incidents of child marriage to the police.
Now at university, Sanjida's work with Ghashforing has not stopped and she mentors new members of the group. So far they have reportedly prevented 50 child marriages.
Elated by the recognition, Sanjida on Wednesday said in a Facebook post that she was forever grateful to be included in the list.
The BBC list includes global music phenomenon Billie Eilish, Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska, actors Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Selma Blair, the “tsarina of Russian pop” Alla Pugacheva, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi, record-breaking triple jump athlete Yulimar Rojas, and Ghanaian author Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah.
This is the 10th season of the BBC's 100 Women.
The other Asian women on the list include Fatima Amiri of Afghanistan, Aye Nyein Thu of Myanmar, Velmariri Bambari of Indonesia, Sirisha Bandla of India, Priyanka Chopra Jonas of India, Sandya Eknaligoda of Sri Lanka, Sneha Jawale of India, Kimiko Hirata of Japan, Ayesha Malik of Pakistan, Nigar Marf of Iraq and Milli of Thailand.
