- Bibi Fatima SHG of Teertha village, Dharwad district, is the UNDP Equator Prize recipient
- The award is among the world's most respected community-scale sustainability awards
- Identifies community efforts towards conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development
Bibi Fatima Women's SHG of Teertha village in Dharwad district received the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Equator Prize, a most elite international award for community-based sustainable initiatives, widely referred to as the "Nobel Prize for Biodiversity."
Established in 2018 with 15 members, the team was selected from 700 entries from 103 countries under the title of "Women and Youth Leadership for Nature-Based Climate Action." The prize is accompanied by an international platform for recognition and a cash award of about ₹8.5 lakh.
In the last seven years, the SHG has developed a millet-based model of sustainability that is now empowering over 30 villages in Karnataka.
Through the revival of traditional methods of farming, support for natural cultivation practices, operation of a women-run processing unit, creation of community seed banks, and support for healthy food systems, the collective has not only protected biodiversity but also enhanced nutrition, increased farm incomes, and promoted women's empowerment.
"Such recognition validates the strength of grassroots women leadership in constructing resilient food systems," the SHG said in a joint statement. "Millets enhance climate resilience while reclaiming dignity, income, and health for our communities."
The UNDP Equator Prize highlights the vital work of local peoples and especially women's groups in combating climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity.
In India, it also enhances the millet movement at the national level by showing how millets can be harnessed as tools for climate adaptation and drivers of rural economic transformation.
