Bhubaneswar: First chairperson of National Commission for Women (NCW) Jayanti Patnaik, danseuse and Bollywood choreographer Padmashree Dr lleana Citaristi, former head of Odisha Sahitya Akademi and former editor of Samaja Manorama Mohapatra, film actress Aparajita Mohanty and first Odia to climb Mt Everest Kalpana Dash will be conferred with the first edition of the Odisha Women Leadership Award for 2012.

The award instituted by OYSS (Odisha Yuva Sanskrutik Sansad) Women on the occasion of its silver jubilee celebration will be given away every year to encourage leadership among women in the State.

The award will be conferred at the Odisha Women Leadership Conclave 2012 to be held on September 4 at the Puri Town Hall, said a release by conclave director and OYSS head Manasi Pradhan here on Saturday. The conclave is being held on the topic “The key to successful women leadership”.