The Anjani Mashelkar Inspiration Award is an annual award of ₹100,000 honouring the inspiring life and work of an elderly and unsung Indian hero. The award is given under the aegis of International Longevity Centre – India (ILC-I) in partnership with Anjani Mashelkar Foundation.
A young widowed mother suffering through extreme poverty coupled with the lack of education meant unsurmountable odds for late Smt. Anjani Mashelkar. Undeterred by these odds, she brought up Raghunath Mashelkar with determination and perseverance. She continued to raise his aspirations for higher education and achievement, while giving him values of morality, ethics and concern for the poor at the same time. She was truly an inspiration!
The award will be given in this spirit to women who, just like her, inspire everyone around them to do more and be more. An eminent jury selects an Indian woman of above 60 years of age, who is an unsung hero and has achieved against all odds, as the winner
For nearly three decades now, Flavia Agnes has been championing the movement for women’s empowerment through her organisation Majlis. Founded in 1990, Majlis has been a harbinger of the women’s rights movement in India. It is an all-women organization comprising lawyers and support staff. From providing high quality, expert legal opinion to women and children who have suffered acute abuse; to advocacy for law reforms, Majlis toils to create systemic change and long-lasting impact. It has provided litigation support to more than 50,000 women and legal advice to another 1,50,000 – most of whom are from underprivileged and marginalized backgrounds. Faced with an abusive and violent marriage, not only did Flavia overcome her own harrowing circumstances, but also emerged as a gender justice warrior to help others.
