THE WOMEN CHANGING THE WORLD AWARD CATEGORIES
SIGNATURE IMPACT AWARDS
Emerging – Woman Changing the World of the Year
This award recognises a woman at the early stages of her journey who has taken bold action to create meaningful change. She demonstrates courage, initiative, and strong potential for future impact.
Rising Star – Woman Changing the World of the Year
This award recognises a woman who is rapidly building momentum and delivering early results. She is emerging as a powerful force for change with a clear trajectory toward significant impact.
Woman Changing the World of the Year
This award recognises a woman delivering established and measurable impact. She demonstrates strong leadership, innovation, and a consistent commitment to creating positive change.
Women Changing the World – Changemaker
This award recognises a woman creating significant impact at scale. Her work extends beyond her immediate sphere, influencing communities, industries, or systems.
Hall of Fame – Woman Changing the World of the Year
This award recognises a woman whose extraordinary impact has created lasting change. Her work has influenced systems, industries, or generations, leaving a powerful legacy.
Woman of the Year – Overcoming the Odds
This award recognises a woman who has demonstrated extraordinary resilience and created impact through adversity.
Woman of the Year – Experience That Inspires
This award recognises a woman whose life experience and wisdom continue to inspire and uplift others.
Woman of the Year – Woman Without Borders
This award recognises a woman creating impact across cultures, communities, or countries.
Young Woman of the Year - under 25
This award recognises a young woman demonstrating leadership, initiative, and meaningful impact.
Girl of the Year - under 16
This award recognises a young woman demonstrating leadership, initiative, and meaningful impact.
Company Changing the World of the Year
This award recognises a company creating significant impact through leadership, innovation, and measurable success.
Entrepreneur of the Year
This award recognises a woman creating significant impact through entreprenurship, leadership, innovation, and measurable success.
Women Changing the World – Leadership Award
This award recognises a woman demonstrating exceptional leadership that drives meaningful impact through vision, influence, and action.
Women Changing the World – Emerging Leader Award
This award recognises a woman stepping into leadership with confidence, demonstrating strong potential, initiative, and growing influence.
Women Changing the World – LGBTQI+ Leadership Award
This award recognises an LGBTQI+ leader creating meaningful change through inclusive leadership and advocacy.
Women Changing the World – First Nations Leadership Award
This award recognises a First Nations woman demonstrating leadership that creates meaningful impact while honouring culture, knowledge, and community.
Eligibility: Must identify as a First Nations person.
Women Changing the World – Migrant Leadership Award
This award recognises a migrant woman creating meaningful impact through leadership, bringing diverse perspectives and lived experience.
Eligibility: Must be from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.
Women Changing the World – Disability Leadership Award
This award recognises a woman with disability demonstrating impactful leadership and advancing inclusion and awareness.
Women Changing the World – Diversity & Inclusion Impact Award
This award recognises a woman creating meaningful change through diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Women Changing the World – Advocacy Impact Award
This award recognises a woman using her voice, platform, or work to advocate for meaningful and lasting change.
Women Changing the World – Big Idea Award
This award recognises a bold and innovative idea with strong potential to create meaningful impact at scale.
Women Changing the World – Innovation Award
This award recognises a woman developing creative and impactful solutions that advance new ways of thinking or working.
Women Changing the World – Tech Innovation Award
This award recognises a woman creating meaningful impact through technology, digital solutions, or innovation.
Women Changing the World – Sustainability & Environmental Impact Award
This award recognises a woman driving environmental impact through sustainable practices, innovation, or advocacy.
Women Changing the World – Future Impact Award
This award recognises a woman whose work has strong potential to create significant future impact at scale.
Women Changing the World – Global Impact Award
This award recognises a woman creating measurable impact across countries or globally.
Women Changing the World – Humanitarian Impact Award
This award recognises a woman improving lives through humanitarian work and support for communities in need.
Women Changing the World – Human Rights Award
This award recognises a woman advancing human rights through leadership, advocacy, or action.
Women Changing the World – Gender Equality & Empowerment Award
This award recognises a woman driving progress toward gender equality and empowering others.
Women Changing the World – Disability Inclusion Impact Award
This award recognises a woman advancing accessibility, inclusion, and equity for people with disability.
Women Changing the World – Cultural Diversity Impact Award
This award recognises a woman fostering inclusion and opportunity across diverse communities.
Women Changing the World – Youth Impact Award
This award recognises a woman creating meaningful impact for young people and future generations.
Women Changing the World – Volunteer of the Year Award
This award recognises a woman creating meaningful impact through volunteer service and contribution.
Women Changing the World – Community Impact Award
This award recognises a woman making a significant difference within her local or global community.
Women Changing the World – Business of the Year
This award recognises a business creating significant impact through leadership, innovation, and measurable success.
Women Changing the World – Emerging Business of the Year
This award recognises a business in its early stages demonstrating strong potential and early impact.
Women Changing the World – Social Enterprise Award
This award recognises a purpose-driven organisation creating measurable social or environmental impact.
Women Changing the World
– Purpose-Driven Business Award
This award recognises a business committed to creating meaningful impact alongside commercial success.
Women Changing the World in Business & Entrepreneurship
This award recognises a woman creating meaningful impact through business leadership and entrepreneurship.
Women Changing the World in Professional Services
This award recognises a woman delivering impact through expertise, service, and leadership in professional fields.
Women Changing the World in Corporate Leadership
This award recognises a woman driving impact within a corporate environment through leadership and influence.
Women Changing the World in Public Sector & Government
This award recognises a woman creating meaningful change through public service, policy, or government initiatives.
Women Changing the World in Health & Wellbeing
This award recognises a woman improving health outcomes or wellbeing through her work.
Women Changing the World in Education
This award recognises a woman creating meaningful impact through education, learning, or training.
Women Changing the World in Science & Research
This award recognises a woman advancing knowledge and impact through scientific research or innovation.
Women Changing the World in Technology
This award recognises a woman creating impact through technology, digital innovation, or transformation.
Women Changing the World in Media & Journalism
This award recognises a woman creating impact through storytelling, communication, and media.
Women Changing the World in Finance & Economics
This award recognises a woman creating impact through financial leadership, innovation, or empowerment.
Women Changing the World in Agriculture & Food Systems
This award recognises a woman creating impact through agriculture, sustainability, or food innovation.
Women Changing the World in Travel, Events & Experiences
This award recognises a woman creating meaningful impact through experiences that inspire and connect.
Women Changing the World in Creative Industries
This award recognises a woman creating impact through fashion, design, arts, or creative expression.
Women Changing the World in Sport & Fitness
This award recognises a woman creating impact through sport, fitness, or community leadership
People’s Choice Women Changing the World - Health
Most popular health and wellbeing business or organisation making a difference as determined by people’s choice voting
People’s Choice Women Changing the World - Education
Most popular education business or organisation making a difference as determined by people’s choice voting
People’s Choice Women Changing the World - Humanitarian Impact
Most popular humanitarian business or organisation making a difference as determined by people’s choice voting
People’s Choice Women Changing the World - Non Profit & Social Enterprise
Most popular non profit & social enterprise business making a difference as determined by people’s choice voting
People’s Choice Women Changing the World - Global Impact
Most popular global impact business or organisation making a difference as determined by people’s choice voting
People’s Choice Women Changing the World - Making a Difference
Most popular making a difference focused business or organisation making a difference as determined by people’s choice voting
People’s Choice Women Changing the World - Diversity and Inclusion
Most popular diversity and inclusion focused business making a difference as determined by people’s choice voting
People's Choice Women Changing the World – Rural & Regional Impact
Most Popular woman creating meaningful change in rural, regional, or remote communities.
Each category within the Women Changing the World Awards has been thoughtfully designed to reflect different expressions of impact, leadership, and influence.
You are invited to consider where your work sits most naturally — not only in what you do, but in the depth and reach of the change you are creating.
Many entrants find that more than one category resonates. Where this is the case, you are welcome to select those that feel most aligned.
Emerging – Woman Changing the World of the Year
For those who have taken bold and purposeful first steps, demonstrating clear intent, initiative, and early impact.
Rising Star – Woman Changing the World of the Year
For those building strong momentum, with growing recognition and measurable results.
Woman Changing the World of the Year
For those delivering consistent, established impact, with clear evidence of meaningful outcomes.
Women Changing the World – Changemaker
For those influencing at a broader level, shaping industries, communities, or systems through their work.
Hall of Fame – Woman Changing the World of the Year
For those whose work has created enduring, far-reaching impact and legacy.
You may then consider the area in which your impact is most clearly expressed.
Impact & Advocacy
For work centred on creating meaningful change within communities, systems, or society more broadly.
Categories include:
Global Impact · Humanitarian Impact · Human Rights · Gender Equality & Empowerment · Advocacy · Community Impact · Youth Impact · Rural & Regional Impact
Leadership & Representation
For those whose impact is expressed through leadership, influence, and the advancement of representation.
Categories include:
Leadership · Emerging Leader · LGBTQI+ Leadership · First Nations Leadership · Migrant Leadership · Disability Leadership · Diversity & Inclusion Impact
Innovation & Future Impact
For those developing new ideas, approaches, or solutions with the potential to create meaningful change.
Categories include:
Big Idea · Innovation · Tech Innovation · Sustainability & Environmental Impact · Future Impact
Industry Impact
For those creating impact within a specific professional or industry context.
Categories include:
Professional Services · Corporate Leadership · Public Sector & Government · Health & Wellbeing · Education · Science & Research · Technology · Media & Journalism · Finance & Economics · Agriculture & Food Systems · Travel, Events & Experiences · Creative Industries · Sport & Fitness
Business, Entrepreneur & Company
For founders, business leaders, and organisations creating impact through enterprise.
Categories include:
Entrepreneur of the Year · Business of the Year · Emerging Business of the Year · Social Enterprise · Purpose-Driven Business · Company Changing the World of the Year
Personal Journey & Recognition
For those whose personal story and lived experience form a powerful part of their impact.
Categories include:
Overcoming the Odds · Experience That Inspires · Woman Without Borders · Young Woman of the Year
There is no single path or perfect category.
What matters most is the integrity of your work, the intention behind it, and the difference it is making.
You are invited to select a minimum of three categories that most truthfully reflect your contribution and the impact you are here to create.
From there, our judging panel will thoughtfully determine the category — or categories — that best align with your work.
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