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Summary
The Pan African Women Empowerment Network (PAWEN) is now accepting free self- and third-party nominations for the 2025 PAWENpreneur Awards. It will honour outstanding African women leaders across five categories, with winners to be announced at the awards night in November.
The Pan African Women Empowerment Network (PAWEN) is accepting nominations for the 2025 PAWENpreneur Awards, set to honour Africa’s most inspiring women entrepreneurs and leaders.
Nominations opened on July 24th, 2025, and will close on September 24th, 2025. After the nomination period, the top 10 nominees in each award category will be shortlisted. A judging panel will evaluate the shortlisted candidates, select the top three finalists, and announce the winners at the awards night in November 2025.
To be eligible, nominees must be African women aged 18 or older as of July 1st, 2025, with verifiable achievements in their field.
Breakdown of the Award Categories
The PAWENpreneur Awards have expanded to five major categories with more than 15 honours to be presented. They are:
- Entrepreneurship and Business Excellence: This category will recognise women leading bold ventures. The five awards under it are the African Business Matriarch, Sustainable Business Leader, Cultural Enterprise, Emerging Founder, and Tech-for-Good Entrepreneur awards.
- Intrapreneurship and Innovation: The Intrapreneurship and Innovation Awards will celebrate women reshaping industries from within institutions. The six honours in this category are Boardroom Leadership, Finance Leader of the Year, HR Leader of the Year, Sustainability Leader of the Year, Innovation Leader of the Year, and Technology Leader of the Year.
- Impact & Inclusion: This award category recognises women advocating for change, building ecosystems, and creating opportunities for others. It will spotlight changemakers through four honours: Financial Inclusion, Women’s Health Impact Leader, STEM Education Leader, and Diaspora Changemaker.
- Public Leadership & Policy Influence: This category will honour women in public service with four awards: Policy Pioneer, Public Sector Innovator, Emerging Public Leader, and Voice of the People. It is dedicated to outstanding women advancing governance, shaping policies, and promoting citizen engagement.
- Ecosystem Builders: The Ecosystem Builders category will honour mentors, coaches, and gender equity advocates, with a special recognition for male allies. It features four awards: Mentorship Champion, Catalyst, Platform Builder, and Male Ally. The Male Ally award recognises explicitly a male who actively advocates for gender equity and supports the advancement of women in leadership or business.
How To Nominate
The PAWENpreneur Awards accepts both self-nominations and third-party nominations. This means you can either nominate yourself or put someone else forward. Here’s how to go about it:
- Visit the PAWEN Awards website.
- Click on the Nominate icon at the top of the page.
- Select the category of your choice.
- Review the description and eligibility criteria.
- If you meet the criteria, click on Nominate.
- Complete the nomination form and submit.
Nominations are free of charge, and only one submission is required for consideration. Before submitting nominations, participants are encouraged to read and understand the award categories and guidelines carefully.
The 2025 PAWENpreneur Awards will not only celebrate innovation, resilience, and transformative impact across the continent but also recognise African women who are redefining leadership and entrepreneurship for a new generation.
