A Nottinghamshire Live reporter has received an award from a leading international women's organisation for her work in highlighting the stories of Romanian women in the UK.
Olimpia Zagnat was recognised for her work in raising awareness of women's rights by Soroptimist International of Nottingham.
The United Nation-linked organisation handed the 22-year-old the award for her project - 'The untold stories of Romanian women in the UK'.
Ms Zagnat, who moved to the UK from Romania in 2019, produced the work whilst at Nottingham Trent University (NTU).
After receiving the award on Friday, February 4, she said the work was "probably my favourite piece that I have ever written".
“It is a complex topic, and something that I have noticed as a child when most of my friends in Romania had at least one parent if not both living abroad and taking on jobs because they were not earning enough to support their families back in their mother country," she said.
“And I also remember so vividly the stories that were going around about the young girls who were being kidnapped to essentially work in prostitution against their will.
“I was disappointed by some media coverage about Romanian nationals, and the continuous stigma around it."
Ms Zagnat said she "felt it was my duty" to highlight the stories of the three women in the project, after conducting more than 20 interviews.
She continued: “I somehow felt like it was my duty - as an international student journalist at the time and now working in the industry - to do something about it and tell the real stories of these people coming from marginalised communities.
Ms Zagnat expressed her thanks to her tutors at NTU, as well as the Romanian women involved in the project.
Natalie Fahy, editor of the Nottingham Post, said: "We are all so proud of Olimpia's achievements. She has a bright future ahead of her."
To read 'The untold stories of Romanian women in the UK', visit the website here.
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