Dr Ujjaini Halim

Dr Ujjaini Halim, Executive Director of IMSE has been Awarded with Inspire Awards 2018-19 under the category "Youth Empowerment" . She has been making active and evident contributions to the social work field for youth empowerment since the inception of her career (last 25 years).

She is an alma mater of Presidency College Kolkata and University of Calcutta Department of Geography. She holds a PhD in Political Ecology from University of Heidelberg , South Asia Institute, Germany. She has further studied Economic, Social & Cultural Rights in Germany.

Her exposure to social issues started at an early age due to her active involvement with Institute for Motivating Self Employment. She also took membership of Food First Information and Action Network (FIAN) International during her college days and started working on rights issues. Dr Halim has gathered global experience on economic social cultural rights while working closely with Rome based UN agencies and UN HRC at Vienna. She holds prestigious positions in various international organisations like FIAN International (Food First Information and Action Network), Civil Society Mechanism of FAO, Global FAFO of IFAD (International Fund For Agricultural Development) , World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers (WFF), Bread For the World - Germany, South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE), Asian Peasant Coalition (APC), South Asian Peasant Coalition (SAPC), Food Sovereignty Network South Asia (FSNSA) etc.

Nationally her work has been recognised by Social Watch India, Association for Democratic Reforms India, FIAN India, Heinreich Boell Stiftung India, RLF India, RTI Network India, Pension Parishad India and so on.

Her key contribution is empowering youths with knowledge of rights & skill development for self employment. She has contributed significantly in mobilisation of rural youths for a better tomorrow. Conflict resolution & peace building are two other key components of her work among youths as a part of education & employment linked interventions. At national & UN level she has made significant contributions in developing policy / legal framework like BVG RTF , Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VG GT), Voluntary Guidelines on Small Scale Fisheries (VG SSF) , incorporating issues pertinent to youth empowerment with gender equity & equality.

She has research & teaching experience with University of Heidelberg, Calcutta University , Vidyasagar University as guest lecturer. She regularly contributes to regional & national daily and journals, highlighting challenges & achievements of youths in rural & urban belts of Eastern India.

For her exceptional contribution in the field she has been felicitated by Help Age India, Kolkata; VivekPathe; Ramkrishna Mission Golpark; West Bengal Government and Deutsche (German) Calcutta group.

Her expertise and zeal for social work has been an example to many young following her guidance. She has always motivated and encouraged the young to come and be a part of the social sector and work towards a better future, towards a just world.