A world in which women's rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential is still a long way off. In such a world, no woman would live in fear of violence, and women would have access to all resources and would be represented in decision making positions on an equal basis with men.

Many young women are volunteering and working hard to make this vision a reality. Dedicating time and effort to their causes, women's empowerment is seeing the biggest global surge yet, even though we are still far from equality.

To encourage young women to keep working towards this goal, Zonta International established the The Young Women in Public Affairs (YWPA) Award Program in 1990. Each year, successful applicants aged 16-19 on 1st April each year are awarded international scholarships of US$4,000 each.

"The Young Women in Public Affairs (YWPA) Award recognizes young women, aged 16-19, who demonstrate superior leadership skills and a commitment to public service and civic causes, and encourages them to continue their participation in public and political life," says Zonta International.

"The program goal is to encourage more young women to participate in public affairs by recognizing a commitment to the volunteer sector, evidence of volunteer leadership achievements and a dedication to empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy."

Since the inception of the program in 1990, Zonta has awarded 804 awards, totaling $764,750, to 692 young women representing 54 countries.

Zonta International is a leading global organization of professionals empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy. With over 30,000 members in 66 countries, Zonta works together to improve the lives of women and girls.

If you think you deserve a chance to be recognised for your work, you can download the 2017 YWPA Award applications here.

Photo credits: Zonta International