Indian-American woman receives Presidential Award

Minal Patel Davis, special advisor on Human Trafficking to the Mayor of Houston

Minal Patel Davis was awarded by the United States Secretary of State the Presidential Award for her contributions against human trafficking on a policy crafting level.

The United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo awarded the Presidential Award to an Indian-American woman from Houston, Texas. The reason behind the award being the lady’s extraordinary contribution in the fight against human trafficking in Houston and its immediate neighbourhood.

Minal Patel Davis is the special advisor on Human Trafficking to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. She received the “Presidential Award for Combating Human Trafficking” at the White House on October 19 in a ceremony that was also attended by American President Donald Trump. The award is the country’s highest honour in the field.

“My parents came here from India. I was the first one in my family born in the United States, so to end up in the Mayor’s office a few years ago, and then to now end up in the White House, it was unbelievable,” said Minal after receiving the award.

Having been appointed in July, 2015, Davis has made an immense impact on the local human trafficking and sex slavery in America’s fourth largest city. Her strong policies have enhanced and strengthened the pre-existing laws. As of now, she is currently implementing Mayor Turner’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategic Plan, which is the first comprehensive municipal response to human trafficking by any American city.

Davis has spoken at several local, national and international panels and presented Houston city’s approach to preventing human slavery. She has also been a speaker at the United Nations World Humanitarian Summit and has recently travelled to India and Canada at the request of the State Department to discuss municipal leadership in trafficking with the government officials.