Indian Social Worker Reema Nanavaty Wins Prestigious Hillary Clinton Award

Indian social worker Reema Nanavaty, Director of the Self-Employed Women’s Association of India (SEWA), has received the 2026 Hillary Rodham Clinton Award in recognition of her contributions to women’s economic empowerment, livelihood security and community resilience. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton presented the honour at Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security in Washington on October 15. The award recognises exceptional leadership in advancing women’s rights and building a more peaceful and secure world.

Nanavaty has spent decades supporting women in India’s informal economy, helping them overcome insecure incomes and limited access to financial services. Founded in Ahmedabad in 1972 by Ela Bhatt, SEWA has grown into India’s largest union of informal-sector workers. Nanavaty joined the organisation in 1984 and became its General Secretary in 1999 before taking on a wider leadership role. Her work combines collective organisation, enterprise development and social protection to strengthen women’s financial independence.

A major focus of her initiatives is building women-owned enterprises and women-led supply chains across agriculture, food processing, textiles, waste recycling and renewable energy. She has also supported digital tools for women farmers and connections with online retail platforms to improve market access. SEWA’s food security programme, initiated under her leadership, covers one million households, linking access to food with livelihood security.

Nanavaty has connected women’s economic empowerment with environmental sustainability through SEWA’s Hariyali Green Energy and Livelihoods Initiative, which promotes renewable energy access and income-generating opportunities. She has also supported climate action through the organisation’s Building Cleaner Skies campaign, which the World Bank reported had engaged approximately 3.2 million women by 2025.

Her humanitarian work includes restoring livelihoods for 60,000 earthquake-affected rural women and supporting 40,000 riot-affected members. Rehabilitation initiatives in Afghanistan provided livelihood training to more than 5,000 women, while programmes in Sri Lanka supported vocational training and rural livelihoods for over 6,000 war-affected women.

Nanavaty has served on the World Bank Group’s Advisory Council on Gender and participated in the International Labour Organization’s High-Level Global Commission on the Future of Work. In 2013, she received the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, for social service.

The Hillary Rodham Clinton Award has previously recognised leaders including former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard, former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet and Nobel laureate Nadia Murad. The 2026 recipients also include fashion entrepreneur Tory Burch and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. Based on publicly available recipient records, Nanavaty appears to be the first Indian recipient, although official confirmation is needed.

Her recognition highlights how women’s economic independence, food security and sustainable livelihoods can contribute to stronger communities and greater resilience during crises.