British media outlet BBC has unveiled its list of the world’s most inspiring and influential women for 2024, featuring Bangladesh’s own Rikita Akter Banu.
A nurse by profession, Rikita has been celebrated for founding a school for children with special needs, earning widespread praise for her transformative efforts.
The BBC's annual list honours women from diverse corners of the globe who have overcome significant challenges to bring about meaningful societal change.
This year’s honourees include astronaut Sunita Williams, actress Sharon Stone, Olympic athletes Rebecca André and Allyson Felix, musician Raye, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, visual artist Tracey Emin, climate activist Adenike Oladosu River, and author Cristina Rivera Garza, among others.
The compilation spans five categories: Climate Activism, Culture and Education, Entertainment and Sports, Politics and Advocacy, and Science, Health, and Technology.
Rikita Akter Banu, hailing from a remote area in northern Bangladesh, has been recognised for her exceptional contributions to the field of education and disability awareness. In a society where children with autism or other disabilities are often stigmatized as curses, she turned her struggles into a beacon of hope.
Unable to enrol her daughter, who suffers from autism and cerebral palsy, in a local primary school, Rikita took the extraordinary step of selling her own land to establish a school for special needs children.
Today, her institution, the Learning Disability School, caters to 300 students and has played a pivotal role in transforming societal perceptions of disability in her community.
Initially founded for children with autism or learning disabilities, the school now serves students with a wide range of intellectual and physical challenges, offering them a safe and inclusive environment for education and development.
Rikita’s inspiring journey stands as a testament to resilience, compassion, and the power of individual initiative to drive societal change.
