Nominations are now open for the 2022 edition of the prestigious AWIEF Awards, which recognise, honour and celebrate women entrepreneurs and business owners in Africa and across various industry sectors for their achievements and contribution to the continent’s inclusive economic growth and social development.
AWIEF (the Africa Women Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum) is an award-winning pan-African women economic empowerment organisation that works to close the gender gaps by driving women’s business leadership and entrepreneurship in Africa.
Nominees for the AWIEF Awards should be emerging and established female entrepreneurs in the private business and not-for-profit sectors who have demonstrated outstanding vision, leadership and inspiration in spite of challenges to make a significant social impact and/or become successful in their businesses in line with AWIEF’s core areas of innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and socio-economic development.
The AWIEF Awards covers 8 categories with the following criteria:
The Young Entrepreneur Award
Nominees must be between 18 and 35 years old and must exemplify leadership in their field and the importance of entrepreneurship to effect positive change.
Tech Entrepreneur Award
Nominees should be female entrepreneurs who have built an innovative, groundbreaking and game-changing technology venture or start-up.
Agri Entrepreneur Award
Nominees should be female entrepreneurs who have successfully started an agri-enterprise and have an innovative product or service in the Agriculture value chain.
Creative Industry Award
Nominees should be female entrepreneurs who reflect outstanding success in the creative industry, including music, performing arts, film, television and radio, software and interactive content such as virtual reality and augmented reality, media writing, publishing and print media, design and visual art.
Empowerment Award
Nominees should be women who have greatly contributed and invested in inspiring, mentoring and empowering women and girls.
Energy Entrepreneur Award
Nominees should be female entrepreneurs in the oil & gas and/or green energy & renewable energy sectors who are operating successful businesses with impact on energy access and/or availability in their communities and countries.
Social Entrepreneur Award
Nominees should be female entrepreneurs who have developed an innovative, systemic and sustainable solution that directly tackles a social issue.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Nominees should be established women entrepreneurs who have demonstrated prolonged and consistent achievements in business, and exceptional and outstanding business leadership. The award also recognises significant contributions made to job creation and the economy.
Nominations for the 2022 AWIEF Awards close on 3 June 2022. You can either self-nominate or nominate someone else. Entries will be judged by an esteemed panel of business leaders.
The nomination process:
- Visit https://www.judgify.me/AWIEFAwards2022
- Register an entrant profile by clicking “Submit an entry”.
- Fill in the nomination form and submit.
Winners of the 2022 AWIEF Awards will be announced and celebrated at a special gala dinner at the annual AWIEF conference, taking place on the 26th and 27th September 2022, in Cairo, Egypt, in partnership with Egypt’s Ministry for International Co-operation and co-organized by the Egyptian Businessmen’s Association (EBA) under the theme Advancing Africa Through Gender Integration.
The annual AWIEF conference, which is heading to North Africa for the first time, brings together more than 1,300 entrepreneurs, start-ups, thought leaders, policymakers, international development partners, investors, CSOs, academia, and media for dialogue and discussions on issues of empowerment, entrepreneurship, investing, technology, and innovation in Africa.
AWIEF2022 is a platform where Africa’s big issues will be debated and new ideas explored, ending on a high note with the announcement of the eight AWIEF Award winners.
Irene Ochem, AWIEF Founder and Chief Executive Officer, says: “There are many outstanding women entrepreneurs and businesswomen across Africa who are driving growth, creating opportunities, and positively impacting the continent. We are once again enthusiastic to celebrate and shine the spotlight on these inspirational female entrepreneurs and share their stories of excellence and success.”
Winner of the AWIEF Energy Entrepreneur Award in 2021 Josephine Takundwa, Managing Director of Earthlink Technologies, said: “I felt on top of the world after being recognised as the top Energy Entrepreneur for AWIEF 2021! Being selected as the winner from among a group of other well-deserving women is a great confidence and morale booster for me and my organisation. That recognition will propel me to aim for greater and greater achievements! Thank you, AWIEF.”
For more information, email info@awieforum.org