Veronica Avila, the daughter of immigrants who rose out of Chicago's poor meatpacking neighborhood and later organized restaurant workers, has been named winner of the 2012 Edna Award.

The Edna, which has a $10,000 prize, honors women age 35 or younger who already have distinguished themselves as leaders of the social justice movement. The award honors Edna Berger, a pioneer for women’s rights, who rose from a receptionist at The Philadelphia Inquirer to become a writer, editor and the first female organizer in The Newspaper Guild-CWA.

Less than a week remains before the deadline—July 31—to submit nominations for the 2012 Edna, a $10,000 award for young women making a mark in labor, women’s and other social justice movements.

The award honors Edna Berger, a pioneer for women’s rights who rose from a receptionist at The Philadelphia Inquirer to become a writer, editor and the first female organizer in The Newspaper Guild-CWA.

Nominations are being accepted through July 31 for the 2012 Edna, a $10,000 award from the Berger-Marks Foundation that will go to a young woman leader in the social justice movement. Young women making a mark in labor, women’s and other social justice movements are eligible for the award, which will be presented in the fall.

Even in the labor movement, the path for women is not always smooth or obvious. With its call for applications for grants, the Berger-Marks Foundation aims to open new doors to women and is looking to help a few good organizations fund their efforts to develop and serve women in the labor movement.

The Berger-Marks Foundation will honor a young woman leader with its Edna Award. The $10,000 award recognizes a young woman whose leadership in the social justice movement has already fueled social change.