ISLAMABAD, Friday, May 30, 2025 (WNP): The DASTAK Women Rights and Awareness Foundation has been honored with the 2025 Nelson Mandela-Graça Machel Innovation Award in the Organisation Category by the CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation.

The award recognizes DASTAK’s pioneering efforts in advancing gender-responsive climate justice through its flagship initiative, FIERCE. The FIERCE program — Feminist Initiative for Environmental Resilience, Collective Care, and Well-being of Eco-Justice Defenders — redefines climate action by centering the lived experiences, emotions, and knowledge of grassroots defenders, particularly women in Pakistan and across the Global South.

Born out of the devastating 2022 floods in Pakistan, DASTAK’s approach challenges traditional extractive narratives and amplifies the voices of those most affected by climate crises.

In its statement, CIVICUS praised DASTAK for embodying the vision of Nelson Mandela and Graça Machel, stating, “These innovators live up to a belief in people power and justice grounded in dignity and imagination. Their work inspires new paths forward for civil society and the world.”

Hira Amjad, Founder and Executive Director of DASTAK Foundation, expressed her gratitude, saying, “This award recognizes the power of care, community, and grassroots knowledge in our work. It affirms that decolonized, gender-responsive climate action is not only necessary but effective and urgent. This moment belongs to every climate defender and survivor building liberation with love.”

Presented annually by CIVICUS, the Nelson Mandela-Graça Machel Innovation Awards honor individuals and organizations employing innovative approaches to address pressing global challenges.