We are delighted to announce Tahmina Akter Supti from Bangladesh as a finalist for the 2025 Wedu Women’s Leadership Awards in the Flame of Solidarity Award category.

Connection to the Award

Since 2021, Tahmina Akter Supti has been mentoring and supporting women and girls through community-based leadership programmes, learning circles, and volunteer-led initiatives. As the founder of Light For Life, she has reached women across Bangladesh, South Asia, and Africa—equipping them with skills in leadership, climate action, education, and mental health.

One of her most innovative contributions is the creation of Sunshine Family Volunteers—a family-based mentoring model where mothers and daughters co-lead grassroots efforts for peace and social change. This intergenerational approach reflects Tahmina’s belief that sustainable leadership begins in the family and extends into the community.

Her leadership is equally global. Through her role with Global Peace Women, she facilitates mentorship circles both online and in person, training women on dignity, gender equity, and community healing. She provides guidance to survivors of early marriage and gender-based violence, combining legal education with psychosocial support to help women reclaim their agency and voice.

Mobilising Change

For Tahmina, mentorship is never a one-time exchange—it is about building networks of solidarity where women uplift each other, challenge harmful norms, and lead with purpose. As a human rights lawyer, she integrates women’s voices into every layer of her work: community, policy, education, and family. She leads legal awareness sessions, facilitates dialogues on early marriage and gender-based violence, and advocates for gender inclusion in peace building and education forums.

Her work often blends grassroots activism with global engagement. Whether mentoring a girl to speak up in family decisions or shaping content for international peace dialogues, she creates safe spaces for women’s voices to thrive.

One of her most powerful mentorship stories is of a young woman from a conservative rural community who had been pressured into early marriage and denied higher education. Tahmina began mentoring her weekly, helping her rebuild self-worth and explore alternative education pathways. With encouragement and legal awareness, the young woman resumed her studies through an open university and now co-leads a local campaign on girls’ education and menstrual health. She often describes Tahmina’s mentorship as “the turning point” that helped her feel seen, heard, and believed in.

Why Tahmina Stands Out

Tahmina leads by example—mentoring not only with knowledge, but with deep empathy. Her approach demonstrates that leadership is not about power, but about purpose. She creates safe, empowering spaces where women and girls can reclaim their voice, rise above limitations, and lead change in their own way.

Her mentees affirm the impact of her work. As one wrote:

“Before I met Tahmina, I felt invisible… She listened—not just to my words, but to my fears and hopes. She helped me discover my own strength and taught me that leadership isn’t about power, but purpose. Tahmina’s belief in me transformed how I see myself—and now, I mentor others just as she mentored me.” — Sumaiya

Through Light For Life, Sunshine Family Volunteers, and her global advocacy, Tahmina Akter Supti continues to stand in solidarity with women—creating ripples of leadership that cross generations and borders.

Connect with Tahmina on LinkedIn

Join us in celebrating women’s leadership!

On 30 September at 6PM ICT, we will announce the awardees of the four Wedu Women’s Leadership Awards in a special online celebration. Reserve your spot and be part of the moment. RSVP here to join us