Hakimun Nesha Bappy, President and Chief Executive of WAYDO, has been named one of seven finalists for the Women's International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (WIN DRR) Rising Star Award 2025, organised by the UNDRR Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
The selection recognises her humanitarian leadership in Cox's Bazar, one of the most disaster-prone and crisis-affected regions in the world. For more than six years she has worked on gender-based violence prevention, child protection and mental health, linking community realities with institutional coordination for both Rohingya refugees and host communities.
Under her leadership WAYDO has become a platform for gender-responsive disaster risk reduction. During Cyclone Mocha in 2023 she led a local rapid response: volunteers were mobilised within 48 hours to distribute essential non-food items, share life-saving information and provide psychosocial support to more than 500 families in Teknaf and Ukhiya.
“This recognition is not just mine. It belongs to every woman and young leader in Cox's Bazar who continues to rise and rebuild stronger after every storm,” she said.
The WIN DRR Rising Star Award honours women early in their careers who show outstanding potential and commitment to gender equality and disaster risk reduction.
