An 18-year-old rickshaw driver from a village in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh was thrilled to meet King Charles III at Buckingham Palace after receiving a prestigious women’s empowerment award in London this week.
Arti was presented with the Amal Clooney Women’s Empowerment Award, named after the world-renowned human rights barrister, at the Prince’s Trust Awards in London. Following this, she met with the 75-year-old monarch on Wednesday.
She was honoured for inspiring other young girls through her work with the government's Pink E-rickshaw initiative, which aims to provide safe transport for women and drive positive change.
“I take pride in being able to inspire other girls who face similar challenges. This newfound independence has allowed me to see the world in a different light. Now, I am able to fulfil not only my dreams but also those of my daughter," said Arti, who has a five-year-old daughter for whom she has bought some cake and a pair of shoes on her very first visit to London.
“It has been an unbelievably amazing experience, meeting the King who was so nice and sent his namaste to my family back home too. He also listened carefully as I spoke about how much I love driving my e-rickshaw, which does not run on polluting diesel or petrol but one that I charge at home every night,” she shared, speaking in Hindi.
The Prince's Trust International, founded by King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales, will now be transformed into the King's Trust International. It will continue its work supporting young people across 20 countries through employment, education, and enterprise programs.
The Prince's Trust Women's Empowerment Award recognizes the global work of young women who have succeeded against the odds and made a lasting difference to those around them.
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