Vandana Shiva
As founder and leader of Navdanya and a leading voice in food sovereignty, agroecology, and women’s rights, Vandana Shiva has worked for decades to place women and smallholder farmers at the heart of resource management, from seeds and local networks to ecological knowledge and market systems.
BACKGROUND
Vandana Shiva grew up in northern India, witnessing firsthand how deforestation and industrial agriculture harmed both people and the environment. Trained as a physicist and philosopher of science, she was drawn back to the land by the realities she observed. Through research, activism, and lived experience, she recognised that smallholder farmers—particularly women—were often marginalised by large industrial systems and excluded from control over vital resources such as seeds, knowledge, and markets. These experiences shaped her lifelong commitment to linking ecological sustainability with social justice and gender equality.
WORK AND IMPACT
In the early 1990s, Vandana founded Navdanya, a network of seed banks and educational initiatives that preserve local seeds, strengthen farmers’ independence, and promote ecological farming. Vandana shows how biodiversity and local knowledge can foster both sustainability and social justice, and how empowering women to manage their resources can create more resilient and equitable communities.
Vandana is a leading voice in food sovereignty, agroecology, and women’s rights, placing women and smallholder farmers at the heart of resource management and connecting local knowledge, seeds, and networks with broader ecological and social systems. By connecting gender equality with ecological responsibility, she strengthens women’s influence, builds resilient communities, and shows how practical, local solutions can scale to global impact.
WHY VANDANA IS A FINALIST
The jury nominates Vandana Shiva as a finalist for the 2026 WIN WIN Award for her long-term, transformative leadership, which links practical stewardship and community knowledge with global policy and normative change. She demonstrates how gender equality can drive sustainable development, resilience, and more peaceful societies, and how women’s influence can shape both local and global systems.