Draft:Shomy Hasan Chowdhury
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Shomy Hasan Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi social activist known for her work in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) advocacy, and is the co-founder of Awareness 360. She was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2025[1] and has received the Diana Legacy Award,[2] the President’s Volunteer Service Award (Gold) from U.S. President,[3] and recognition in Forbes 30 Under 30 for her work in social impact.[1]
Early Life and Education
[edit]Chowdhury was born and raised in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. She attended North South University in Bangladesh before transferring to University of Putra Malaysia (UPM), where she graduated with a degree in economics.[4] In 2021, Chowdhury was selected as a Schwarzman Scholar at Schwarzman College, Beijing, where she pursued a Master's degree in Global Affairs.[2]
Career and Activism
[edit]Chowdhury co-founded Awareness 360 with Rijve Arefin in October 2014 after her mother's death from diarrhea on Bengali New Year’s Day in 2014. Her mother passed away within 24 hours of contracting the illness, which served as the catalyst for her lifelong WASH advocacy. Four days later, she gave her first WASH talk to sanitation workers in her hometown, a community often isolated and lacking basic hygiene knowledge.[5][6] Awareness 360 provides education on sanitation and hygiene practices, impacting various communities globally, including sanitation workers, sex workers, slum dwellers, persons with disabilities, school children, and marginalized groups in both Bangladesh and Malaysia, such as the Orang Asli indigenous population.[6][7]
Awareness 360 has expanded to 23 countries with over 1,500 volunteers addressing various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including education, health, gender equity, and poverty reduction.[5]
International Recognition
[edit]Chowdhury received the President’s Volunteer Service Award (Gold) from former U.S. President Barack Obama for her community service efforts during an exchange program in the United States.[1][3] In 2019, she received the Diana Legacy Award from Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, acknowledging her work in community service and advocacy in ensuring clean water and sanitation for all.[8][2] Chowdhury was also listed on Forbes 30 Under 30 for her work in social impact initiatives.[1] She has spoken publicly on WASH and youth advocacy at events in over 50 countries and six continents, including platforms such as the United Nations, The White House, BBC, and TEDx.[9]
In 2021, Chowdhury became the first Bangladeshi judge for the Diana Legacy Awards, serving on a committee presided by Lord Spencer, alongside other judges.[10] In addition to this role, she has served as a high-level judge for the UN SDG Action Awards and held advisory and leadership positions in several international organizations. Her affiliations include Global Citizen, the Samsung Global-UNDP Generation17 initiative, the McCain Global Leaders program, and the U.S. State Department’s CEE initiative. She has also participated as an international election observer.[9] She was featured in a special issue of "Hello! UK" magazine celebrating Princess Diana's 60th birth anniversary.[10]
In 2025, Chowdhury was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, recognizing her selection as one of 116 individuals globally for her work addressing complex global challenges through social impact initiatives.[1] She also received the Putra Icon Award in Malaysia, an institutional recognition of her contributions to youth-led community development and public advocacy.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Bangladeshi Shomy Hasan Chowdhury named World Economic Forum Young Global Leader 2025". The Daily Star. 2025-04-20. Archived from the original on 2025-04-20. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
- ^ a b c "The Diana Award - Shomy Hasan-Chowdhury - Case Study". diana-award.org.uk. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
- ^ a b Rafidi, Rayyan (2020-01-22). "Young activist out to save vulnerable lives | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
- ^ "সময় এখন শমীর". Prothomalo (in Bengali). 2017-10-01. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
- ^ a b "Awareness 360: A Bangladeshi youth platform changing lives around the world". The Business Standard. 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
- ^ a b "Shomy Hasan Chowdhury". The MY HERO Project. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
- ^ "Building resilient communities - the story of Shomy Chowdhury". UNDP. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
- ^ "Bangladeshi girl receives The Diana Award". Prothomalo.
- ^ a b c "Shomy Hasan Chowdhury". World Economic Forum.
- ^ a b "Shomy Hasan Chowdhury becomes the first Bangladeshi judge of Diana Legacy Awards". The Daily Star. 2021-06-15. Archived from the original on 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2025-05-05.