We are delighted to share that Dr. Purnima Barman, recipient of the 2024 Whitley Gold Award, has been named one of TIME Magazine’s Women of the Year 2025.
This global recognition underscores Purnima’s exceptional contributions to conservation and community empowerment.
The 13 women included in TIME’S list are those “who have identified a problem and vowed to be part of the solution.” In their own way, each woman is “working toward creating a better, more equitable world.”
Purnima has dedicated her career to protecting the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork in Assam, India. Central to this success is the ‘Hargila Army,’ a grassroots movement that has grown to over 20,000 women who actively safeguard nesting trees, rescue fallen chicks, and weave conservation into their livelihoods by creating handicrafts that celebrate the stork. Her work has led to a remarkable increase in the stork population, with numbers doubling in key nesting sites.
Listen to our podcast, How to Save It, to hear how Dr Barman transformed a scavenger from a bad omen to cultural symbol.
Discover more about Purnima’s conservation work and her journey as a Whitley Gold Award winner: Learn more.
