The fourth annual Forbes and Know Your Value 30/50 Summit in Abu Dhabi concluded on Friday with an International Women’s Day Awards Gala to celebrate women who have helped shape history with their fearless commitment to equality, value and freedom.
Mika Brzezinski, chair of the summit and founder of Know Your Value, said honoring the women could not come at a more important time.
“This year, women are facing daunting challenges across the world,” said Brzezinski at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. “…In America, women’s rights have been set back. Across the world, the threat to women is often far more dramatic and takes on consequences that are life or death … Perhaps, that is why it is so important who we are honoring tonight. Women who are leading the charge, owning their voices and rising up to meet the moment.”
The Lifetime Achievement honor went to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was scheduled to be at the ceremony but had to chair emergency meetings with European leaders to discuss the long-term security of Ukraine.
“It is scary that America has decided to cease military assistance and intelligence assistance to Ukraine. But with Ursula von der Leyen at the helm, there is actually reason for optimism,” said Brzezinski, who noted Von der Leyen spearheaded Europe’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and launched a breakthrough European green deal that transformed the continent’s economy while helping to meet ambitious climate goals. “If there is a person who can catalyze a unity of purpose and a shared definition of the challenge it’s her.”
The Know Your Value Award went to Sheryl Lee Ralph. The 68-year-old actress and activist is best known for her performance in “Dream Girls” and as her role as an unflappable kindergarten teacher in the hit TV series “Abbott Elementary.”
After 40 years working in Hollywood, Ralph won her first Emmy in 2022 – at the age of 66 – and became the second Black woman to win for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. Off camera, Ralph is also a fierce advocate for education, in addition to women’s rights and representation. She continues to elevate the voices of marginalized communities.
“Knowing your value is not always easy. For many of us, it has been a journey — a journey of finding our voice, standing our ground, and learning to take up space in rooms that were not always built for us,” said Ralph during her acceptance speech.
“Like so many women, I’ve faced moments of doubt. I’ve been underestimated. I’ve been told to wait my turn, to be grateful for what I have, to not ask for too much. But at every step, I had a choice: to shrink or to rise. To accept less or to demand more. And I chose to rise.”
The Hometown Heroine award went to Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi, the executive director of Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Program. In 2012, she discovered that patients in the United Arab Emirates did not have access to stem cell treatment, one of the most effective therapies against Leukemia. She decided to study cancer, stem cells and genetics abroad and then brought her knowledge home to the UAE. She continues to view public safety as a core part of her overall mandate and aims to help her country become self-sufficient in healthcare.
The Torch of Freedom award went to photojournalist Lynsey Addario.
Addario has been covering conflict, humanitarian crises, and women’s issues around the world on assignment for The New York Times and National Geographic for more than two decades. Since September 11, 2001, Addario has covered conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Darfur, South Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Syria, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Addario’s own survival story is equally compelling, having been kidnapped by pro-Gaddafi forces in Libya in 2011 and later released after a harrowing experience. Through her lens, Addario continues to shed light on the stories of those affected by crisis and war.
The Young Changemaker award went to Yusra Mardini. Mardini, 26, is a Syrian-born Olympic swimmer and refugee who became famous for her bravery in helping fellow refugees while crossing the Mediterranean in 2015.
When the boat she and 19 others were traveling in started to sink, Mardini and her sister swam for hours — pushing to boat to safety and helping save the lives of everyone on board. Today, she is a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and advocate for refugees and continues to inspire with her story of survival, hope and perseverance.
Mardini said earlier at the summit that when she left Syria as a young girl she had two choices. “The first choice was to stay home and risk our lives every day in a war zone…and the second choice was maybe if we risked our lives one more time we would be a peace, and that’s what we chose.”
She added, “It’s okay to be afraid but the most important thing to remember is that you need to always move forward…You need to take risks, you need to say, ‘Hey, if I fail, I need to try again tomorrow.”
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