Pragna Patel

{{Short description|Women's rights activist and business leader}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Pragna Patel

| organization = Southall Black Sisters

| known_for = Feminist activist and campaigner

}}

File:Keynote Closing Address- Pragna Patel, Facing many Directions in the Struggle for Secular Democracy.webm

Pragna Patel is the Director of Southall Black Sisters a women's rights organisation in London, UK. She was a founding member, chair and Director.{{Cite web|last=Committee|first=Management|date=2021-11-17|title=Activism is the rent we pay to live on this planet – Our tribute to Pragna Patel|url=https://southallblacksisters.org.uk/news/activism-is-the-rent-we-pay-to-live-on-this-planet-our-tribute-to-pragna-patel/|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Southall Black Sisters|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2016-04-13|title=Pragna Patel|url=https://justice.org.uk/pragna-patel/|access-date=2021-11-23|website=JUSTICE|language=en-GB}}

Patel is also a co-founder of Women Against Fundamentalism.{{Cite web|title=British Library|url=https://www.bl.uk/people/pragna-patel|access-date=2021-11-23|website=www.bl.uk}}

She trained as a lawyer and writes about race, gender and religion.{{Cite web|last=UCL|date=2021-02-02|title=Transcript: In conversation with Pragna Patel|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/racism-racialisation/transcript-conversation-pragna-patel|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Sarah Parker Remond Centre|language=en}}

She has an honorary Doctorate from Keele University for her outstanding contribution to women's rights{{Cite web|title=Law School nominee Pragna Patel receives Honorary Doctor of Letters|url=https://www.keele.ac.uk/law/newsandevents/ournews/2019/july/lawschoolnomineepragnapatelreceivedherhonorarydoctorofletters/pragna-ppatel-receives-honorary-doctor-of-letters.php|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Keele University|language=en}} and a Bob Hepple Equality award {{Cite web|date=2019-06-03|title=Bob Hepple Equality Award|url=https://www.equalrightstrust.org/bob-hepple-equality-award|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Equal Rights Trust|language=en}} alongside Mauro Cabral of GATE. The award is named for Bob Hepple, the former lawyer of Nelson Mandela.

She has said 'It is only through activism that that we can truly honour those who came before us to fight for the rights and freedoms that we currently enjoy and it is only through activism that can we encourage others to feel empowered and to form part of wider social movements that carry the promise of change.' {{Cite web|title=British Library|url=https://www.bl.uk/womens-rights/articles/southall-black-sisters|access-date=2021-11-26|website=www.bl.uk}}

In 2011 she was named by The Guardian as one of the Top 100 Women Activists and Campaigners.{{Cite web|date=2011-03-08|title=Pragna Patel {{!}} Top 100 women|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/08/pragna-patel-100-women|access-date=2021-11-23|website=the Guardian|language=en}}