The Southall Black Sisters awarded the National Secular Society’s £5,000 Irwin Prize for Secularist of the Year. The Secularist of the Year award presented to Pragna Patel, Chair of the organisation, at prestigious award ceremony in central London on Saturday.
NSS President Terry Sanderson said: “Southall Black Sisters was set up to meet the needs of Black and Asian women who are the victims of domestic violence or injustices in the legal system. The main aim of the organisation is to empower women in gaining more control over their lives, to be able to live without fear of violence and be able to assert their human rights to justice, equality and freedom. It is right on the forefront of the feminist struggle in this country. It celebrated its thirtieth anniversary last year, founded in 1979 during the Southall race riots.”