Kailash Satyarthi Biography 
Kailash Satyarthi is a child right’s activist and social worker from Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, who has been awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with education activist and youth icon, Malala Yousafzai. This year Novel prize was announced for activists’ struggle against suppression of children and their rights, education and justice. Founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Kailash has stood against child labour and human trafficking since 1980s and has helped more than 80,000 children nationwide from child labour or other forms of exploitations and he has also provided them education and better living conditions.
Kailash was born in 11 January 1954 at Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh. His campaigns and struggles for child rights and justice started since 1980s. He gave up his career as an electrical engineer in the early 1980s. He believes that child slavery is a crime against humanity. He founded Bachpan Bachao Andolan in 1980, which worked on social issues related to children. His works were not bounded only to India and he campaigned worldwide and has also associated with ‘Global March Against Child Labor’. He is also the founder of GoodWeave International in 1994, formerly known as Rugmark, a network NGO which stood against employing children in weaving and craft industry. Rugmark also worked in Europe and America since late 1980s.
He has headed several peaceful protests and demonstrations for the cause of child rights and fought against child labour with the concept 'Education for All'. Satyarthi has highlighted child labor as a human rights issue and many documentaries and programs have been made based on him and his ideas. In 2009 he was honoured with Defenders of Democracy Award (US). Wallenberg Medal in 2002, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award (US) in 1995 and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Award (Germany) are only a few among the countless awards received by him. He is currently settled in Delhi with his wife and the couple has two children. He has received many attacks including 2004 incident when he rescued a few kids from circus mafia.
Published: N/A
Updated: October 11, 2014
