London, United Kingdom – [April 2025] – In a powerful celebration of heritage, leadership, and global impact, the 2025 Global Power Women Awards (GPW Awards) proudly conferred the Global Diaspora Legacy Award on Baroness Sandip Verma, a distinguished member of the UK House of Lords. The recognition honors her decades-long commitment to public service, social justice, and gender equality, as well as her extraordinary contributions to advancing women and marginalized communities across the globe.

Held in London, the GPW Awards is an international platform that recognizes outstanding women leaders whose work transforms lives and reshapes narratives globally. Baroness Verma stood out as a compelling symbol of diaspora excellence and influence, having seamlessly bridged her Indian heritage with a remarkable career in British politics, entrepreneurship, and international development.

Born in Amritsar, India, and raised in the UK, Baroness Verma has consistently broken barriers, rising to become one of the most respected voices in the British Parliament. Elevated to the peerage in 2006 as Baroness Verma of Leicester, she has served in several ministerial capacities, including as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and later at the Department for International Development. Her work has focused on sustainability, climate policy, and gender rights on a global scale.

Baroness Verma also serves as the Ministerial Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Overseas, a role that exemplifies her fierce advocacy for the rights and dignity of women worldwide. Her bold leadership continues to influence policy reforms, empower survivors, and drive innovative strategies to combat gender-based violence across international borders.

The GPW Awards, organized by the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD)—a United Nations ECOSOC-accredited organization—aims to amplify voices like that of Baroness Verma, celebrating diasporic leaders who are not only successful but socially transformative.

A Night of Excellence and Global Recognition

The awards ceremony welcomed a high-profile lineup of women who are redefining excellence in leadership. Among the honorees were: H.E. Mrs. Fatoumatta Bah Barrow, First Lady of The Republic of The Gambia; H.E. Dr. Ana Dias Lourenço, First Lady of the Republic of Angola, H.E. Mrs. Ann Marie Davis, The Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and H.E. Mrs. Dominique Ouattara, First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire.

Other luminaries included Mrs. Solange Amichia, CEO of CEPICI (Côte d’Ivoire);Ms. Yaa Amoako-Adu, Executive Director of Above Inspections Limited; Eng. Ziria Tibalwa Waako, CEO of the Electricity Regulatory Authority in Uganda; Dr. Mandas Marikanda, CEO of Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank; Dr. Fatoumata M’Balou Sanogo, CEO of Petroci Holdings; Mrs. Roseanna Onyia, CEO of Clinique Research Development; Mrs. Flora Mutahi, CEO of Melvin Marsh International Limited; and Mrs. Michelle Kilpin, CEO of Tanzania Breweries Limited, among many other influential change agents.

Baroness Verma’s award underscores the critical role of diaspora leaders in shaping policy, business, and global development. Her life story, marked by resilience, innovation, and a commitment to justice, is a compelling testimony to the lasting legacy diaspora leaders can create.

About the Global Power Women Awards

The  Global  Power  Women  Awards  (GPW Awards)  celebrates  the  remarkable achievements of women who are breaking barriers,  inspiring  change,  and  leading with  purpose  in  industries  around  the world.  Hosted  in  the  heart  of  London, this  prestigious  gala  highlights  the strength, diversity, and resilience of female leadership on a global scale. By recognizing trailblazers, changemakers, and  innovators,  the  GPW  Awards  is  not just  an  evening  of celebration—it’s  a movement that fosters dialogue, amplifes impact, and champions the pursuit of gender equity. Sponsors of this event stand as leaders in advancing inclusivity, innovation, and excellence.

About Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD)

Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD) is a leading human capacity, gender empowerment and development-based organisation that sees itself as a catalyst and thought leader in developing the theory and practice of leadership, social, educational and economic empowerment particularly in Africa, and also the developing countries of the Middle East and Asia. As an organisation currently in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) since 2012, we strive to advance our partnership with public and private sector organisations at different stages to develop, refine and effectively execute strategies that deliver superior corporate/institutional excellence. We empower the men and women folk for peak performance.