Women Leaders Award: Recognising and empowering women across industries

Some 125 pioneering Guyanese women have been inducted into the 25 Influential Women Leaders Award (25IWLA) network, a community dedicated to empowering women leaders across various sectors.
The 25 IWLA Influential Women Leaders Award is one of Guyana’s premier accolades, recognising visionary women leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors who are driving transformative growth and setting new benchmarks of excellence.Speaking during an interview at Ignite Television studio earlier today, Co-Creators of the Award, Michelle A. Nicholas and Lyndell Danzie-Black, provided insights into the upcoming award ceremony and the success of the leadership programme thus far.
The sixth anniversary gala event is slated for Saturday, May 17, at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Georgetown.

It is expected to be a night of inspiration, networking opportunities, and recognition—bringing together key industry leaders, government officials, and corporate stakeholders to celebrate 25 women who are currently making a significant impact in shaping Guyana’s future.
“The 25 Influential Women Leaders Award was really birthed out of this profound need for visibility for women leaders across Guyana, beyond the traditional recognitions that usually occur,” Nicholas noted.

“We recognised that women were not being seen in the way that they should be seen, across industries and sectors. So, Lyndell and I got together, recognising that we have been awarded globally, internationally, and locally for the work that we are doing. We wanted to ensure that we can pass that along to others,” she continued.
This year’s honourees will also have the exclusive opportunity to apply for the Women’s Leadership Programme, which aims to further develop their leadership capabilities and amplify their impact.
“What we found was we were honouring women leaders, and leadership for each of us is different. You might be right up here on the ladder and I’m down here, but we are all leading,” Danzie-Black said.

“We found that we had women at different rounds of that ladder, and so there was a need for us to help some women to work towards executive presence, and that’s what the Women’s Leadership Programme is about. The launch of that programme saw the Minister for Tourism from Barbados literally being our guest speaker, because we have felt that she is one of those women who have reached to that executive level, and as we launch forward, we wanted women to see where you can get to,” she further related.
Danzie-Black added that the programme has received a large influx of applications thus far.

She emphasised that the event is more than just a ceremony, but an inspirational one that fosters opportunities for networking and lasting connections.
“I’m so inspired when I look at these women and hear about them, and they tell you their truths… So, not only are we trying to make sure that this is an inspirational process for the persons that attend, but we are also inspired. It’s a totally inspiring experience,” she said.

The co-creators also revealed that there will be a surprise guest speaker with years of experience who will be featured at Saturday’s event.
They encourage members of the public to follow the 25 Influential Women Leaders Award on social media platforms for updates and ticket information.