The 3rd 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 shaped history with their fearless commitment to equality, value and freedom.
“Each of tonight’s awardees — without question — are the definition of courage and resiliency,” said Mika Brzezinski, chairwoman of summit. “They are the embodiment of women who truly know their value and their power.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former president of Liberia and the first elected female head of state in Africa. In 2011, Sirleaf also received a Nobel Peace Prize for her work amplifying women’s roles in peace-building efforts.
“We need more women in high positions of leadership… There’s no compromise on that one,” Sirleaf, 85, told Brzezinski during an interview earlier in the day. She continued “…And I think women are determined to seek to continue to fight for equity, for equal opportunity to be able to demonstrate the contribution they can make … Women lead differently, so effectively. So powerfully.”
The Know Your Value Award went to Shania Twain — the best-selling female country artist of all time — with more than 100 million records sold worldwide. At the age of 58, Twain recently announced she will return to Las Vegas this May for her third residency, which comes after five Grammy wins and 31 years after the release of her first album.
Brzezinski described Twain as a woman who “has proven time and time again that no matter what life throws at you, she can adapt, accept and persevere.” She added, “Moreover, Shania’s story is a reminder to us all — that the runway is long, way longer than she ever expected.”
The Young Changemaker Award went to 21-year-old Mexican climate activist Xiye Bastida. She has been involved organizing climate strikes and protests since 2019, including the largest climate strike in New York City with 300,000 participants. Her advocacy led her to address world leaders at the Biden Climate Summit in 2021 and at the annual United Nations Climate Conference, highlighting the importance of climate justice and youth engagement.
The Torch of Freedom Award went to two singular women: Nadia Murad, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime ambassador, and Holocaust survivor and rabbi, Aliza Erber.
Murad became a leading advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence after surviving the Yazidi Genocide in Iraq carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014. At the time of the attack, Murad was taken captive by ISIS members and forced into slavery, enduring repeated abuse until she was able to escape.
Erber was just an infant when she was forced into an underground bunker in the Dutch woods, hiding from Nazi patrols along nine other Jewish babies until she was 2 years old.
Both Erber and Murad have come out with their stories in order to advocate for human rights and religious tolerance.
“I know there is hope for a better world,” Erber told the women attending the summit, who came from 46 different countries. “…You can change the world. It’s in your hands. You can make the choices. And whatever you do will impact our next generation. Do it. You can.”