The 2019 DVF Awards Honorees
The following extraordinary women were honored at the 10th annual DVF Awards in New York on April 13, 2018.
The Lifetime Leadership DVF Award
Anita F. Hill
The youngest of 13 children from a farm in Oklahoma, Hill received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1980. She began her career in private practice in Washington, D.C. There she also worked at the U. S. Education Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 1989, Hill became the first African American to be tenured at the University of Oklahoma, College of Law, where she taught contracts and commercial law. Currently, at Brandeis University, she teaches courses on gender, race, social policy and legal history. Along with Provost Steve A. N. Goldstein, in 2015, Hill was responsible for implementing Fulfilling the Promise: The Brandeis University Strategic Plan. As counsel to Cohen Milstein, she advises on class action workplace discrimination cases.
In December of 2017, Professor Hill became the Chair of the Hollywood entertainment industry’s Commission to Eliminate Sexual Harassment and Advance Equality in the Workplace. In that role she will establish a best practices and policies framework for addressing workplace abuses and discrimination and creating more equitable work environments throughout the industry.
The International DVF Award
Nadia Murad
Nadia Murad, co-recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, is a leading advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. Nadia’s peaceful life was savagely interrupted when she was abducted in 2014 after Daesh attacked her homeland in Sinjar— with the intention of ethnically cleansing Iraq of all Yazidis. Like many minority groups, the Yazidis, have carried the weight of historical persecution. Women in particular have suffered greatly, as they have been, and continue to be victims of sexual violence. Nadia lost six brothers and her mother, and was held by the Islamic State for three months before escaping her captors.
Much of Nadia’s advocacy work is focused on meeting with global leaders to raise awareness about Daesh and its genocidal campaign against the Yazidi people. She is the president of Nadia’s Initiative which is dedicated to rebuilding communities in crisis and advocating for victims of sexual violence. Nadia’s Initiative actively works to persuade governments and other organizations to financially support efforts to rebuild the Yazidi homeland.
The International DVF Award
Hadeel Mustafa Anabtawi
Hadeel Mustafa Anabtawi is a social entrepreneur with a passion for empowering girls and founder of The Alchemist Lab, whose educational center has offered more than 25,000 children in cities, remote villages and refugee camps the skills they need to explore themselves and the world around them with confidence and determination.
Prior to founding The Alchemist Lab, Hadeel worked with youth and found that many reached university confused and unfocused, despite having received a good education. She felt that they lacked the basic information and skills they needed to make the right decisions and start their own journey. Hadeel created The Alchemist Lab to address gaps in the traditional education system, inspiring a successful generation to be capable of change, empowering girls to turn into confident women and providing fair access to education for vulnerable children in villages and refugee camps. Their activities connect what children learn at school to the real world and are tailored to children's developmental needs, providing fun and hands-on experiences.
The Inspiration DVF Award
Katy Perry
Katy Perry made her Capitol Records debut with 2008’s One of the Boys after signing to the label in 2007. She cemented her status as a global superstar with the follow-up album, Teenage Dream (2010), which made her the only female artist (tied with Michael Jackson) to have five No. 1 singles from one album on the Billboard Hot 100 chart ("California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "Firework," "E.T." and "Last Friday Night"). PRISM, her 2013 album, debuted at No. 1 on iTunes in 100 countries and has sold more than 12.5 million adjusted albums worldwide. With the singles “Roar," “Firework,” and “Dark Horse” each surpassing the 10 million threshold including song sales and streams, Katy became the first artist to earn three RIAA Digital Single Diamond Awards.
Katy Perry’s fourth studio album, WITNESS, debuted in June at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, and No. 1 on iTunes in 46 countries. It set the record for the biggest week for an album by a female artist in 2017. The certified Platinum lead single, “Chained To The Rhythm,” has over 1 billion streams worldwide, views on the accompanying video made her the most-viewed female artist on VEVO. Follow-up singles, “Bon Appetit” (whose music video was Katy’s fastest viewed music video of all time, with 14.2 million views in the first 24 hours) is certified Gold, and “Swish Swish” is now certified Platinum. Globally, it has achieved more than 2 billion cumulative streams and sold more than two million adjusted albums.
The People’s Voice DVF Award
Susan Burton
Following the tragic accidental death of her five-year-old son, Susan Burton’s world collapsed. Her loss snapped the final tether of resilience, already strained by a past of pain and trauma. She descended into an emotional abyss of darkness and despair, yet was not offered the resources needed to heal. Without support, she turned to drugs and alcohol, which led to nearly 20 years revolving through cycles of incarceration.
Drawing on her personal experiences, Susan founded A New Way of Life Reentry Project (ANWOL) in 1998 — dedicating her life to helping others break the cycle of incarceration. ANWOL provides resources such as housing, case management, employment, legal services, leadership development and community organizing on behalf of and with people who are struggling to rebuild their lives after incarceration. Since its founding, more than 1,000 women and children have found safety and support in seven reentry homes. Over 300 women have been reunited with their children. Since the inception of ANWOL’s legal department in 2007, the organization has provided pro bono services to assist thousands seeking relief from the burden of criminal histories. These services have helped enhance job opportunities by expunging criminal records and offering access to occupational licenses.
People's Voice DVF Award Nominees
Let your voice be heard.
The People’s Voice DVF Award is chosen by popular vote and will be celebrated at the 9th annual DVF Awards to be held on April 13, 2018 at the United Nations in New York City.
This year’s nominees are: