Durjoy Nari Sangha, a Bangladeshi local community, was awarded 'Red Ribbon Award' for their outstanding contributions to the frontline response to HIV and AIDS in Bangladesh, says a press release.

Durjoy Nari Sangha is working primarily with sex workers, clients and other persons involved in the sex trade. The organisation distributes condoms and provides information on HIV/AIDS to sex workers and at the same time it also advocates and supports the rights of sex workers to live with dignity and peace. The initiative also has a condom buying cooperative which has become selfsustaining.

Nearly 600 communities around the world were nominated for the Award. Through a rigorous review process, a committee of 50 international HIV and AIDS experts identified the top 25 candidates, who were invited to attend the AIDS 2006 conference in Toronto in August 2006. Out of those 25 candidates Durjoy Nari Sangha was selected for the award with four other groups from Ukraine, Thailand, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Each of the five winners receives US$20,000 in prize money, while the other 20 finalist communities are each awarded US$5,000.

An international jury that included the Norwegian Crown Princess, Oscar nominee Naomi Watts, former Irish president Mary Robinson and pioneering doctor Paul Farmer whittled the 25 finalists down to five, one in each award category.