A three member Jury - Hon. Justice Shri. R. Jayasimha Babu, (former Senior Judge, Madras High Court) Mr. Akbar Mirza Khaleeli, (former Ambassador of India to different countries and Board of Trustee of VIM) and Dr. Cherian Thomas, (Director of Ecumenical Christian Centre and Secretary & Trustee of VIM)unanimously selected Smt. Bandari Jayamma for the award from among the nominations received from various parts of the Country.
Smt. Bandari Jayamma, has contributed immensely in the field of anti-human trafficking and rescued and rehabilitated thousands of young girls, children and women who were being forced into commercial sex work and she has consistently promoted and protected the rights of commercial sex workers in Hyderabad. Ms. Jayamma herself was a victim of human trafficking and she was first sex worker got rescued and given a dignified job as Coordinator in one of the leading NGOs in Andhra Pradesh. As things progressed, she has rehabilitated number of commercial sex workers and established Chaithanya Mahila Mandali (CMM) in 2001. As a president of CMM, Mrs. Jayamma addresses the issues and concerns of neglected and suffering group of society – sex workers. Today, Mrs. Jayamma is known as Mother Jayamma in Hyderabad.
Vigil India Movement instituted the M. A. Thomas National Human Rights Award in 1994 in memory of its Founder President Late Dr. M.A. Thomas. The Award with One Lakh of Rupees and a Citation will be presented to Mrs. Jayamma at an award ceremony to be held at Hyderabad preferably in August 2014 in line with the birth anniversary of the Founder (10 August).
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