BhuwanRibhu is First Indian Lawyer to be honoured by World Jurist Association
His Just Rights for Children (JRC) network along with Ahimsa Welfare Society Rewa leads Child Rights Work in Rewa
* BhuwanRibhu has been closely associated with child protection efforts in Rewa, where Just Rights for Children support and lead local initiatives to prevent child marriage and trafficking.
* Just Rights for Children (JRC) is the world’s largest legal intervention network for child protection, with Ahimsa Welfare Society Rewa partners in over 416 districts across India.
* Ahimsa Welfare Society Rewa, a local partner of JRC, works under the legal and strategic guidance of BhuwanRibhu to make the district safer for children and free from child marriage by 2030.
* His legal interventions have influenced state-level child rights policies that benefit vulnerable children in Madhya Pradesh, including in this district Rewa.
•The global recognition is seen as a boost for the district’s child protection work and a call to action to achieve a Child Marriage Free Rewa by 2030.
Eminent child rights lawyer and Just Rights for Children Founder BhuwanRibhu has become the first Indian lawyer to be conferred with the ‘Medal of Honour’ by the World Jurist Association (WJA) at the World Law Congress in Dominican Republic. BhuwanRibhu has strong connections with Rewa in Madhya Pradesh as Ahimsa Welfare Society Rewa is a partner of the Just Rights for Children network in the district. Just Rights for Children is the world’s largest legal intervention network of NGOs for child protection—with partners spread across 416 districts of the country.
The World Jurist Association is the world’s oldest association of jurists and since its establishment in 1963, the World Jurist Association has honoured iconic figures such as Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, King Felipe VI of Spain, René Cassin, and Kerry Kennedy for their contributions to justice and the rule of law.
Elated with this momentous honour conferred to the founder of JRC, Sumit Singh of Ahimsa Welfare Society said, “This is not just an individual honour for BhuwanRibhuji—it is a moment of immense pride for all of us working on the ground to protect every child. His recognition by the World Jurist Association inspires and energises us deeply. With the support of the state government and the district administration, we are committed to making Rewa child marriage free by 2030. We are also determined to ensure that not a single child from our district is trafficked for child labour. This global honour strengthens our resolve and gives us renewed enthusiasm to intensify our efforts for a safer, more just world for our children.”
The event held in Dominican Republic, the event brought together over 1500 legal luminaries and 300 speakers from more than 70 countries. The world’s oldest association of jurists honoured BhuwanRibhu for his pioneering work of over two decades, using legal interventions and grassroots mobilisation to advance child protection and child rights.
Speaking on the occasion, Ravi Kant, National Convenor of Just Rights for Children, said, “Our founder receiving the Medal of Honour is a landmark moment not just for our network, but for the entire child rights movement in India. It reaffirms that legal intervention is a powerful tool to protect our children and uphold their dignity. This recognition by the World Jurist Association puts the spotlight on the tireless work of thousands of grassroots defenders across India who are part of the Just Rights for Children network. We are proud, and more importantly, we are motivated to continue our mission to make every district safe and just for children.”
Lauding BhuwanRibhu’s work and achievements over the years, Javier Cremades, President of the WJA, stated, "Bhuwan firmly believes that justice is the strongest pillar of democracy and has dedicated his life to the service of justice for children and women who are victims of sexual crimes in his country and globally. His efforts have saved hundreds of thousands of children and women and set legal frameworks that will protect generations to come. This award is a recognition of his tireless work building a safe, more just world for children through the power of the law.”
BhuwanRibhu received the ‘Medal of Honour’ by Eddy Olivares Ortega, Hon'ble Minister of Labor of Dominican Republic, and Javier Cremades, President of the World Jurist Association. Also present on the occasion was Hon’ble Minister of Women of the Dominican Republic Mayra Jiménez.
BhuwanRibhu has led over 60 PILs resulting in landmark rulings in the Supreme Court and various High Courts. His 2011 case led to the Supreme Court defining trafficking in line and his 2013 campaign on missing children triggered a historic judgment changing the way India’s legal system perceived missing children cases. He has driven key legal reforms against child sexual exploitation—both online and offline—and has been instrumental in strengthening laws against child rape and child marriage.
His PICKET strategy to end child marriage, outlined in When Children Have Children, was endorsed by the Supreme Court in its 2024 guidelines.
The strategy is also followed by the Ahimsa Welfare Society Rewa which is determined and confident that the district Rewa would be free from child marriage by 2030.
