- Women entrepreneurs in Mauritius are invited to apply for the inaugural edition of the Women Entrepreneur Awards.
- The awards will recognise the outstanding achievements of women entrepreneurs who have made a significant impact on their industries and communities.
- Participation in the awards is free of charge and the deadline for applications is 31st May 2023.
Women entrepreneurs in Mauritius are invited to submit their applications for the inaugural edition of the Women Entrepreneur Awards.
The Women Entrepreneur Awards (WEA) is a concept created to encourage, support and empower and celebrate Mauritian female entrepreneurs from different sectors, and to showcase their contribution in the Mauritian economy. WEA was crafted with the goal to celebrate women’s achievements and successes as small, medium or big entrepreneurs.
The awards will recognise the outstanding achievements of women entrepreneurs who have made a significant impact on their industries and communities. These women have overcome obstacles, shown resilience and demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities that have led to the success of their businesses. Through its networks and platform, WEA aims to showcase the diversity of local talent and innovation among women entrepreneurs in Mauritius. to recognise their hard work and achievements. WEA hopes to inspire other women to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and to empower them to make a positive impact within their communities.
Participation in the awards is free of charge. The awards are open to women-owned businesses where a woman is the sole shareholder, and also to women co-owned businesses, where the woman owns at least a 50% share of the business. Awards will be given under a number of categories, starting with those a turnover of less than MUR 1 million, with MUR 5-10 million of turnover, and rising to those over MUR 10 million.
WEA’s focus will be to add value to the women entrepreneurs applying for the awards and the selected participants will be offered the chance to join free and accessible workshops, regardless of whether they are selected for quarter / semi or finals. The workshops will be delivered by experts in their fields with subjects that will bring further insight to the female business leaders.
A jury of experienced professionals, with a strong background and expertise in the entrepreneurial and wider business domain, will be announced shortly. The selection process will be based on objective criteria including business growth, innovation, leadership, and social impact, ensuring that each winner is truly deserving of the recognition.
The awards ceremony will bring together successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, and government officials from Mauritius and overseas to create an opportunity for attendees to network, share insights, and gain valuable knowledge from some of the most successful women entrepreneurs in the country.
The Women Entrepreneur Awards are co-founded by entrepreneurs Kirti Sheonarain, Marie-Noëlle Elissac-Foy and Jyoti Devi Boneeyad. The trio met on a project “12 Parkours Fam Morisienn” in 2022 and decided to join forces to launch this initiative.
Commenting on the rationale behind the awards, Kirti Sheonarain said:
“Women in Mauritius need more representation. They should not only be provided with a platform to showcase their talents and achievements, but they also need to be celebrated and supported. This is our philosophy and what we are building Women Entrepreneur Awards around.”
Speaking about the launch of the initiative, Marie-Noëlle Elissac-Foy said:
““We are doing our best to bring a programme that will celebrate women who had the courage to become entrepreneurs, to turn their idea or their passion into successful businesses. For too long, the economic contribution of women entrepreneurs has not been properly acknowledged. This is why we wish to promote a strong narrative around women entrepreneurship focusing on sustainability, innovation and impact. There are amazing women-owned companies that are doing very well and we need to acknowledge the business minds behind them. We are also aware that women led businesses are the ones which have taken the full blow of the pandemic. Economies around the world and economies like ours cannot afford to lose women-led businesses. This is why we strongly believe that WEA can be a platform to encourage more women to become entrepreneurs and add value to our economy.”
Sharing her perspective on who should apply, Jyoti Devi Boneeyad said:
“WEA is a concept designed to celebrate the accomplishments of maverick women, in conformity with the principles of fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity. We are happy to see that WEA is already attracting participation from women entrepreneurs that have been carving their own path, away from the limelight.”
The Women Entrepreneurs Awards are also being supported by a range of Ambassadors with experience of entrepreneurship across a wide range of sectors.
Speaking as one of the Ambassadors, Karuni Puri said:
“As a Mentor, I saw big potential in this program for women entrepreneurs such as winning an award can be a powerful tool in boosting industry recognition and an excellent marketing tool for a company. The Women Entrepreneur Awards acts as a powerful and highly effective form of positioning, as it shows that a company is preeminent and rare, which naturally makes customers and prospects respect the company more and more inclined to do business with it. As one of the Ambassadors for the awards, I was conquered by the tenacity of the founders and their unflinching support to help more and more women to walk on the ramp of recognition which we never had before in the country.”
Joanna Curpanen, adding her perspective as an Ambassador, commented:
“I have decided to lend my support to the Women Entrepreneurs Award due to their innovative approach that has not been previously discussed. The fact that the award program is based entirely on merit and free of cost adds to its credibility and authenticity. Furthermore, I firmly believe in the importance of empowering women as it not only aligns with my moral values, but it also makes practical sense. Empowering women benefits individuals, families, communities, and society as a whole, which is necessary for achieving gender equality and promoting human rights since women make up almost half of the world’s population and should have the same fundamental rights as rights as men.”
Sameera Chattun Koyratty, in her role as an Ambassador, concluded:
“The Women Entrepreneur Awards should be one of the highlights of every woman’s calendar. This organisation has many champions to showcase with a lot of inspiring stories from the Mauritian Women. Sometimes it seems as though success breeds success and this is the case, I may say for the Women Entrepreneur Awards (WEA). WEA acknowledges the efforts that women made to break the glass ceiling. By supporting the Women Entrepreneur Awards, together we are strengthening the economy of the country and creating a better community of women.”
Women entrepreneurs are invited to submit their online application here:
The deadine for applications is 31 May 2023.
