Bahraich’s Naina Chauhan honoured in London for championing girls’ education, empowerment

Bahraich: Women education crusader Naina Chauhan who was recently honoured with the Amal Clooney Women's Empowerment Award in London was felicitated by District Magistrate Akshay Tripathi here. The 23-year-old native of Patel Nagar village in Risia development block met the district magistrate on Tuesday at the collectorate following her return from London. Congratulating her, Tripathi said the international recognition was a matter of pride for the entire district and would provide fresh momentum to women empowerment efforts in the aspirational district.

"I am confident that women of the district will draw inspiration from daughters like Naina and Aarti, choose the path of self-reliance and script new success stories," he said. Naina received the award at a King's Trust event in London's Royal Albert Hall for her work in the field of women's and adolescent girls' rights and education.

Officials said this was the second international women's empowerment recognition for Bahraich in recent years. In 2024, another woman from the district, Aarti, received the same award in London for promoting safe transport for women through the Pink E-rickshaw Initiative. This year, several international personalities, including Amal Clooney, George Clooney, Charlotte Tilbury and Rod Stewart, attended the ceremony.

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At the event, Naina also got an opportunity to meet King Charles III and the Queen. Associated with Project Lehar, an initiative supported by King's Trust International and the Aga Khan Foundation, Naina continued her education despite financial hardships. She worked in fields and gave tuition classes to children while pursuing her studies with the help of scholarships. Currently, she works as a life skills trainer and coach, spreading awareness among rural adolescent girls about education, self-reliance and social issues such as child marriage.

Speaking about the honour, Naina said the award belonged not only to her but also to all girls struggling against odds to fulfil their dreams. "One should never lose hope. By making proper use of opportunities, every girl can write her own success story," she said. She credited Project Lehar and the support of King's Trust International for her achievement. The Amal Clooney Women's Empowerment Award is a global honour presented by the King's Trust International. It recognises exceptional young women aged 18 to 30 who have overcome severe challenges to transform their local communities.