SDGs in Action: One Woman’s Journey from Personal Resilience to Global Impact

Recently, at the CFBPW Annual Conference, the powerful message rang clear: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Action begins with individual efforts. No grand organisation or government policy can create real change unless ordinary individuals decide to stand up, speak out, and act.

I was deeply honoured to receive the Certificate of Recognition as “Changemaker for Resilience, Women’s Empowerment, and Social Transformation (India)” from the Icons of Change Global Secretariat on December 10, 2025 – Human Rights Day.

This award recognises my contributions toward advancing United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality. For me, it is not just an honor, it is a powerful reminder that one person’s lived experience and determination can ripple outward and touch many lives.

My own journey began in the most difficult circumstances. Losing my father at the age of 10, facing gender bias, workplace harassment, stalking, and my daughter’s traumatic experience taught me firsthand the devastating impact of gender-based violence. These challenges could have broken me. Instead, they became the fuel for my life’s work.

Through my book Against All Odds: No Retakes, No Manuals, Real Life Lessons, my podcast Hangout with Sujata, along with my roles as Regional Vice President – Asia Pacific for the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) and their representative to the UN, I work every day to turn pain into purpose.

As Chair of the NFBPWC Gender-Based Violence Committee, I lead efforts to educate members, raise awareness, and build practical support systems for survivors.

I also serve as a Voluntary Case Officer with the Singapore Prison Service and as a befriender with the Rain Tree Project under Rotary, supporting formerly incarcerated individuals and their families.

Every workshop I conduct, every story I share, and every survivor I mentor is a small but meaningful step toward SDG 5. When one woman finds her voice, when one community begins to challenge silence around violence, when one leader chooses to elevate others instead of gatekeeping, that is SDG 5 in action.

The Icons of Change award is not the end of a journey; it is confirmation that individual efforts matter. Each of us, in our own sphere, whether in our clubs, workplaces, families, or communities has the power to create change.

As BPW members, we are uniquely positioned to turn awareness into action. Let us continue to support one another, speak up for those who cannot, and build a world where every woman and girl can live free from fear and violence.

Because real change does not start with grand declarations.

It starts with one woman deciding to rise and then helping others do the same.

Sujata Tiwari
Chair Gender-Based Violence
gbv@nfbpwc.org