2021
Influencer of the year
Karishma (she/her) is an internationally experienced sexuality educator and advocate, holds an undergraduate degree in Geology-Biology from Brown University and is an Instagram sex ed creator @talkyounevergot.
While studying in the U.S., Karishma volunteered with Planned Parenthood to teach sex-Ed to high-schoolers for 3 years. After graduating, Karishma worked as a middle school science teacher in Brooklyn before she began her work in sex Ed. She now conducts workshops & online webinars with top educational institutions, student groups and young adults across India. She also volunteers for Scarleteen, one of the oldest sex ed websites for young people based out of the U.S.
On a day-to-day basis, Karishma works at a global consulting firm as an analyst. In her free time, she enjoys acting for theatre, trying to train her dog and writing poetry.
Micro-influencer of the year
From Tops to Bottoms is all about growth.
Cassie and Sam started From to Bottoms at a time where their personal growth was at an all-time high. They both seriously benefitted from the discussions they were having in private, so they thought the public might too. Discussing their vulvas, their sex lives, their raging bisexuality, traumatic experiences, mental health, BDSM, intersexual feminism, and all the stupid things they did as young girls and how that shaped them to be the badass queer, feminist, sex-positive women that they are today. From Tops to Bottoms is for everyone;
Whatever your age, gender, sexuality, or ethnicity, there’s something there that will help you grow, laugh, learn or reflect
Journalist of the year
Opeyemi Adeyemi fondly called dryemz is a Public Health Physician and owner of the sexual health clinic which runs under O and A Medical Center Ogun State, Nigeria. She had her medical training in Sumy State University, Ukraine and MscPH from the University of South Wales.
She has her show Mediclounge on Hi-impact TV and uses social media to educate people on Sexual and Reproductive Health with videos and pictorial illustrations using the hashtag #girlchatwithdryemz. She is a sexual health consultant for newspapers like platform times and Punch.
She invented The Flow Game in an effort to address menstruation stigma and has written two books on sexual and reproductive health. Her foundation runs the Brave Boys and Girls club which travels around the South western part of Nigeria to provide sex education to children and teenagers in the effort to fight against public health issues like teenage pregnancy, STIs, HIV/AIDS and Sexual assault.
Grassroots initiative of the year
Fumble is a new, exciting youth charity in the UK, creating a happy, healthly online world of sex education! We make sure that young people have the skills and knowledge to successfully manage their sexual health, mental health and relationships today. We do this through our trusted, quality, free-to-access digital platform and our relationships and sex education (RSE) programme. Fumble is created by young people, for young people. Almost all of our work is carried out by our wonderful team of young volunteers.
We especially aim to meet the needs and experiences of young people that have been traditionally left out of mainstream provision of sex ed, including:
LGBTQ+ young people, those living with disability, those struggling with their mental health, those from minority ethnic groups.
We want to be the go-to online resource for young people looking for safe, quality answers online. Sex ed fit for the digital age: that’s Fumble!
Young person of the year
Artika Singh (she/her), 24, is a Menstrual & Sexual Health Educator trained in Action Anthropology & Public Health.
She has 5+ years experience working in urban & rural India on projects covering MHM, Sustainable Menstruation, STI testing, Reproductive Health Advocacy, impacting approximately 3000+ folks through long term engagement & 1500+ folks through single-time workshops.
Artika was the Community Manager for a health-tech platform, HERdle.Health & contributed to building the doctor-patient vertical for Menstrual, Reproductive & Sexual Health.
She is the founder of Taarini Foundation- a non-profit working in the space of SRHR & Comprehensive Sexuality Education- on-ground & virtually. You can find them on Instagram @teamtaarini. Artika’s passion project “MAHINA”- (colloquial term for menses in India) combines education & social-entrepreneurship. They have supported communities in making & selling 5000+ reusable cloth pads & assisted 300+ menstruators in moving to sustainable period products.
She is currently pursuing her Masters in Anthropology of Gender & Society, learning how to be a sexuality educator using reels & working on a new on-ground project!
2020
Dr Tanaya Narendra
Influencer of the year.
@dr_cuterus
Rukiat
Micro-influencer of the year.
@iamrukiat
Amos Sanasi
Journalist of the year.
@thesanasi
Laina Cores Birch
Young person of the year.
@lainacores
Decolonising Contraception
Grassroots org of the year