Akkai Padmashali

Being a transwoman, Smt. Akkai Padmashali has shown her tenacity and resilience during her tempestuous journey from a sex worker to the recipient of the Karnataka Rajyostava award. She founded the organization named 'Ondede', a human rights organization to advocate the rights of children, women, and sexual minorities. She was the only Indian who was invited by the International Bar Association to address at the international conference in Tokyo. She has received Business Line Changemaker Award 2019 and has also been conferred an honorary doctorate by the Indian Virtual University for Peace and Education, Switzerland.