Awards & Recognition

The 1998 Gujarat cyclone devastated lives and livelihoods. KMVS’ founder, Sushma Iyengar, along with the second tier of the organisation’s leadership, collectively responded to this catastrophe. They received the prestigious Ashok Gondhiya Award for their exemplary work.

Instituted by the Sanskriti Pratishthaan, the Sanskriti Awards are given annually to recognise young talent in different fields nationally. The award citation (social achievement category) applauded KMVS as a young organisation founded in 1989, for emerging as a source of new hope for women and their families in Kutch, through well conceived programmes towards economic self-reliance and encouragement of women craftspeople; for work on health, education, drinking water, and the environment; and for their commendable post-earthquake and cyclone relief work. The chairman of the awards committee was well known poet, essayist, and arts administrator, Shri Ashok Vajpeyi.

Since 1980, the Chameli Devi Jain Award for an Outstanding Woman Media Person is given annually by The Media Foundation to women in the field of journalism. It is one of India’s most prestigious and longest running national media awards for women. The KMVS collective received the award for ‘developing a communication model worthy of emulation’ through its ‘innovative and pioneering community radio initiative,’ the weekly radio docudrama serial Kunjal Paanje Kachchh Ji on All India Radio, Bhuj. Together with a newsletter in the local Kachchi dialect, the docudrama sought to promote community-based action for improvement of lives among a largely non-literate population living in a harsh environment.

Instituted by the Vishwa-Vatsalya and Santbal Award Foundation, Ahmedabad, the Santbal Award was given to KMVS for ‘Mahila Jagruti’ in recognition of its contribution to women’s empowerment.

In recognition of outstanding work done in designing owner-driven and environment-friendly housing, post the Gujarat earthquake, the HUDCO Award was given by the Government of India , under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

KMVS’ senior leader Alka Jani was awarded the Anil Shah Gram Vikas Paritoshik Award by the Development Support Centre (DSC), Ahmedabad, for her transformative work among rural communities in Kutch.

Since 1990, the Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards have been recognising exceptional acts of bravery by ordinary people, including acts of physical bravery, social bravery and for a lifetime of dedication to a cause. In 2008, Parmaben Sava, a KMVS worker from Jamkunariya Village near Khavda, was awarded for the exceptional social courage demonstrated in her lifetime of work as a midwife in the interiors of Kutch, in areas marked by a complete absence of medical facilities.

KMVS’ legal and safety programme Hello Sakhi was recognised by the Women and Innovation for Mobile (WIN) Award, for ‘harnessing the power of mobile innovation to empower women in India.’ Given by Vodafone India Foundation in association with the Digital Empowerment Foundation, the award citation noted the contribution of the Hello Sakhi Helpline in providing legal education, counselling, guidance, and promoting safety for the women of Kutch.

In recognition of its efforts to give rural women across Kutch a voice, and for reaching out and spreading awareness on issues affecting their lives, the KMVS newsletter UJJAS was recognised as the Best Community Magazine. The Laadli Awards are instituted by Population First, in collaboration with UNFPA.

2014- Certificate Of Appreciation Towards Participatory Communication Strategy For Women's Health Under NRHM. Awarded By : Communication For Health India Networks (CHIN) & CHETNA

Saiyere Jo Radio, an FM radio channel, broadcasting from Bhimsar village in Nakhatrana Block was awarded the first prize at the National Community Radio Awards, instituted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. The award, in the community engagement category, was given in recognition of Khaso Sashan, a daily radio series on good governance, covering development issues, panchayat schemes and more. Saiyere Jo Radio was started by the KMVS promoted rural women’s collective, Saiyere Jo Sangathan.

KMVS was felicitated by the Gokula Charitable Trust, in recognition of the powerful ‘Goonj Movement’ catalysed by two of KMVS’ rural women’s collectives. What started as a movement against violence by two collectives (Ujjas Sangathan and Saiyere Jo Sangathan), became a much wider movement against alcohol brewing in villages, incorporating a larger set of women’s safety concerns. Over a one year period, the movement impacted over 100 villages across Kutch.

Instituted by the Kutch Navpallav Education and Medical Charitable Trust, the award recognised KMVS for its long years of sustained ground work to promote women’s empowerment in Kutch District.

On the occasion of independence day, on August 15, 2019, the District Collector of Kutch bestowed a ‘Sanmaan Patra’ on KMVS in recognition of its transformative work, campaigns, intervention, and public advocacy, to prevent child/early marriages in the district.

KMVS was honoured by a Samman Patra, given by the District Education Department in 2025, in recognition of its exceptional work in promoting Education of the Girl Child in the Pachham area of Kutch.