Geneva, 28 October 2021: The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is pleased to announce the fifth edition of the Leading Women Awards (LWA), designed to recognize outstanding female leaders and to showcase their work in sustainability towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addressing the world’s 3 most pressing challenges – the climate crisis, nature loss and mounting inequalities.
This year, as in 2020, in recognition of the special circumstances due to the pandemic, we keep the special category open to businesses worldwide, to acknowledge women who have demonstrated exemplary leadership during the COVID-19 crisis.
The two categories for 2021 are:
- Excellence – Recognizing a female leader for her sustained and outstanding contribution to advancing sustainability within a WBCSD member company.
This nomination category is suitable for women who are inspirational role models with more than 15 years of experience.
- Exemplary leadership during the COVID-19 crisis - Recognizing women from businesses all over the world who are leading with passion and impact during the COVID-19 crisis.
Companies are encouraged to submit their nominations by 31 January 2022.
Four awards will be given across the two categories. Each recipient will receive a bursary for the 2022 LEAP program covering all their tuition expenses.
LEAP is an executive program for women that strives to build the diverse and inclusive leadership that is needed to sustainably transform the systems that underpin our world. It aims to help women reach senior positions in their companies and ensure that sustainability is embedded in their leadership and included in their company strategy.
Companies participate by nominating a senior female manager for the program, along with a mentor at the highest executive level (such as CEO, CFO, etc.) who will cross-mentor a female participant from another company.
All participants take part in a year-long training program that includes three on-location weeks in person at Yale University (USA), ESADE in Madrid (Spain) and a week at the annual WBCSD Council Meeting venue (which changes every year).
We look forward to receiving nominations and to celebrating the leadership of talented women around the world.
