An Oxford woman named Ultimate Campaigner of the Year has vowed that the award will spur her on to greater heights.

Rwandan genocide survivor Liliane Umubyeyi, who is 29 and lives in Shepherds Hill, Greater Leys, was honoured in the real life category of the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards 2007.

Miss Umubyeyi was given the award for her work as co-chairman of the charity, Survivors Fund.

She said: "I was surprised to win because I didn't think I could ever be in this position.

"It means quite a lot to me because I had no idea I could get that high up."

She added: "It was quite an emotional feeling when I heard my name, but a happy and exciting one.

"No matter how hard I work, sometimes I think I haven't done enough, and haven't achieved the goal I have focused on.

"This has encouraged me and given me more courage to do more.

"If I can be appreciated for what I have done then all the work has not been wasted, and I am going to get into a higher gear to work more and do as much as I can."

Miss Umubyeyi, who lost her entire family in the Rwandan genocide and was raped and imprisoned by militia fighters before escaping and being rescued, now dedicates her time to helping those less fortunate than herself, particularly women survivors raped and infected with HIV/Aids.

The Survivors Fund is the only international charity dedicated to helping survivors of the genocide, in which 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus were killed.

At the star-studded ceremony at Cirque in London on Tuesday, Miss Umubyeyi rubbed shoulders with the likes of singer Rihanna, Myleene Klass, Katie Price and Charlotte Church, who all won awards in the celebrity categories.

The judging panel included the Prime Minister's wife, Sarah Brown - the patron of domestic violence charity Women's Aid - television presenter Fearne Cotton, singer Jamelia, Observer editor-in-chief Roger Alton, journalist Mariella Frostrup, Birmingham City FC CEO Karren Brady, author and journalist Irma Kurtz and Cosmopolitan editor Louise Court.

Announcing Ms Umubyeyi as the winner, More 4 presenter Kylie Morris said: "This winner was just a teenager when she witnessed an armed Hutu gang ruthlessly slaughter her parents and drag their bodies from the family home.

"That would have been enough to break most people.

"But it spurred this woman on to campaign and fundraise for fellow Rwandan survivors and for women coping with HIV/AIDS."

And Ms Umubyeyi's tale has a happy ending - her boyfriend Alex proposed on Valentine's Day.