For the past decade, the Rising Star Awards have celebrated the exceptional female talent pipeline below management level, recognising the future leaders and role models shaping industries across the UK and beyond. Since launching in 2015, these awards have showcased over 1,050 remarkable women and are proud to return this year to celebrate another 100 outstanding winners from 20 diverse industries.
Nominations are now open via an awards platform, which you can access through the Rising Stars’ website. Nominations will close after a seven week period on 03 March.
A shortlist of ten women from each industry category and ten from the Champion, Global Award for Achievement and Men for Gender Balance categories, alongside three shortlisted companies for the Company of the Year award, will be chosen by an esteemed panel of judges. Once the shortlist is announced, we will also open the public votes of support, which enables individuals to show their support for a specific shortlisted individual.
Our Champion award recognises the achievements of five senior individuals, male or female, who are actively supporting the female pipeline outside of their day job. Nominations for this award are individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to gender, e.g. HeForShe supporters, Network Leaders, Directors, MD’s or C-Suite individuals who are championing women either inside or outside their organisations.
Our Men for Gender Balance award recognises the achievements of five senior men who are championing women and gender balance either inside or outside their organisation. Nominees must be at least Director level (or equivalent) or above, must demonstrate that they have actively supported the female pipeline either through their current work role or external activities and must be working in the UK.
The Company of the Year award recognises the achievements of a company who can clearly demonstrate that they are actively supporting its female talent pipeline through their initiatives, training, development programmes and internal employee relations and diversity network groups.
The Global Award for Achievement category expands our search for global talent. This category is a female individual who works within any industry, outside of the UK, whose current position is below director level.
All winners will be announced on 04 June and will be invited to celebrate at a prestigious awards ceremony in July 2025.
This is your chance to shine a spotlight on the incredible talent, dedication, and achievements that often go unrecognised. Whether it’s celebrating an inspiring individual or a company leading the charge for equality, your nomination can make all the difference.
Visit the Rising Star Awards website to learn more and submit your nomination.
Together, let’s celebrate the leaders of tomorrow and the champions of today!
February
07febAll DayThe Ethnicity Pay Gap Summit 2025
07/02/2025 All Day(GMT+00:00)
The #EthnicityPayGap Campaign in collaboration with Spktral, are pleased to announce their second Ethnicity Pay Gap Summit set
The Ethnicity Pay Gap Summit will be an educational and inclusive space. It will serve as an environment where attendees can learn from experts, expand their networks and elevate their awareness and understanding of the multifaceted dimensions of this critical subject. Audience engagement will further enhance knowledge sharing and provide support to those new to this subject.
Our expert lineup of speakers brings a wealth of knowledge and experience which promises to be an engaging discussion and valuable insights throughout the day. Speakers being announced include:
An integral part of the summit, the Spotlight Awards will recognise exemplary efforts in Ethnicity Pay Gap work, acknowledging achievements made in 2024.
08febAll DayFawcett Annual Conference | For a feminist future
08/02/2025 All Day(GMT+00:00)
Mary Ward House,
London
FOR A FEMINIST FUTURE! FAWCETT’S NEXT ANNUAL CONFERENCE IS TAKING PLACE ON SATURDAY 8TH FEBRUARY 2025 AT MARY WARD HOUSE, LONDON. WE ARE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THAT
WE ARE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE IS NOW ON SALE! JOIN US FOR AN EXCITING DAY FULL OF INTERACTION, DISCUSSION AND DEBATE ASKING, HOW TOGETHER, WE CAN TRULY BUILD A FEMINIST FUTURE THAT WORKS FOR ALL WOMEN.
With keynote speeches and panel discussions from an array of exhilarating speakers, the conference will be centred around our theme: How to build a feminist future. With sessions focusing on Tackling the rise of populism as well as Revolutionising work, Creating feminist AI and Demanding dignity and safety in public services, the day will be a critical yet joyful space bringing together a thriving feminist community.
For a Feminist Future will include the following exciting speakers:
A welcome speech from Fawcett Chair, Baroness Harriet Harman and Fawcett CEO Jemima Olchawski
With many more to be announced!
Keep your eyes out below for regular updates as we confirm more speakers and our full programme of sessions.
BECOME AN ANNUAL MEMBER TODAY AND GET YOUR CONFERENCE TICKET FOR JUST £7
10 am Welcome address with Jemima Olchawski (CEO, Fawcett Society) and Barroness Harriet Harman MP(Chair, Fawcett Society)
10.15am Keynote address
Tackling the Rise of Populism: How to build a Feminist Future (10.45am to 11.45am).
Creating Feminist AI (12.15pm to 1.15pm)
Breakout sessions (2.00pm to 3.00pm)
1. Revolutionising Work
2. Demanding dignity and safety in public services
TICKETS ARE LIMITED AND PRICED BELOW, IF YOU’RE NEW TO FAWCETT MAKE THE MOST OF OUR AMAZING OFFER, BECOME AN ANNUAL MEMBER TO GET A £7 CONFERENCE TICKET
Join us online
This year we are live-streaming our conference for the first time! This is our first attempt and we are offering this for free or by donation to make our conference more available to those who would otherwise miss out entirely. Please be aware the live stream will not be able to broadcast all aspects of the day.
25feb09:0017:30International Women's Day Conference & Exhibition 2025 | ThinkFest IWD
25/02/2025 09:00 - 17:30(GMT+00:00)
Millennium Point - Birmingham
Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG
Join us for a kick-ass International Women’s Day Conference & Exhibition, celebrating and empowering women from all walks of life! International Women’s
Join us for an inspiring and empowering event celebrating women’s achievements and promoting gender equality. The International Women’s Day Conference & Exhibition will take place at Millennium Point – Birmingham. This in-person event brings together influential speakers, thought-provoking discussions, and a vibrant exhibition showcasing the talents of women from various fields. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and be inspired by remarkable women from around the world. Come and be part of this incredible celebration of women’s accomplishments and the journey towards a more inclusive society.
The Event is split in two, a ticketed Conference and a free to attend Expo.
FREE TO ATTEND EXPO – This part of the event will feature a number of exhibition stands as well as seminar stage delivering content to individuals, small businesses and young females. This is completely free to attend and we have content running throughout the day.
For more for more information about all of the sessions we are running, please take a look at our website. www.IWDExpo.com
We look forward to welcoming you all there, don’t forget it’s not just for women, we need more men in the room to create a greater alliance for gender parity.
10:00 AM Welcome & Introduction
10:30 AM Motivational Networking
11:00 AM How to Start and Scale Your Business
11:30 AM The Magic of Writing Your Book
12:00 PM Funding Females
12:30 PM Mental Health & Wellbeing
1:00 PM Women In STEM
2:00 PM Women in Media
3:00 PM Empowering Girls for Career Success
4:00 PM Building Your Personal Brand
4:40 PM Monetise your Passion
5:10 PM Finish
PAID TICKET CONFERENCE – The content delivered at the conference will be targeted towards senior leaders across business and corporate as well as third-sector organisations. We will be exploring a range of different topics, looking at key issues that women face and what we can do to improve the experience for women in the workplace. A key part of the conference will focus on how we increase the number of male allies for females and have a dedicated panel of speakers discussing this. To top it all off we will be hearing from fashion entrepreneur Karen Millen OBE, founder of Karen Millen.
25feb10:3011:30The FTSE Women Leaders Review | Report Launch Tuesday 25 February 2025
25/02/2025 10:30 - 11:30(GMT+00:00)
We are delighted to extend to you a special invitation to the live broadcast launch of the FTSE Women Leaders Review report on Tuesday 25 February 2025 from
The FTSE Women Leaders Review has made remarkable strides, with the FTSE 350 achieving over 40% women’s representation on boards ahead of the target. However, our work is far from complete. Achieving gender balance and diversity on boards and leadership teams has never been more crucial to harness the wealth of experience, expertise and skills essential for business to navigate complex issues successfully.
With just one year remaining to reach our recommendations, realising genuine equality and enabling further progress will require a united commitment from us all to achieve the 40% women in leadership target and to drive more appointments of women into the ‘four key roles’; the Chair, Senior Independent Director, CEO and Finance Director.
We therefore warmly invite you to join us for the 2024 report launch, where we will share new and exclusive findings on the progress made in achieving gender balance during the year. We are delighted that the Secretary of State for the Department of Business & Trade and the Minister for Women & Equalities will be sharing their support for the Review, and we are excited to host a panel of distinguished guests who will share insights on how they are accelerating progress.
Our panellists include:
– Allison Kirkby, CEO BT Group Plc
– Lee Chambers, Business Psychologist, Speaker, Author
– Yetunde Hofmann, Non-Executive Director Cranswick Plc
– Mary Ann Sieghart, Author of ‘The Authority Gap’
Please confirm your attendance at this virtual event by completing this registration form. If you encounter any difficulties during the registration process, our team is available to assist you at [email protected]
This year, our event will be exclusively a live broadcast, and so we encourage you to share this invitation with your network.
27feb08:3014:00Clarity Connect International Women's Day Conference | Clarity Leadership Ltd
27/02/2025 08:30 - 14:00(GMT+00:00)
Bloomsbury Ballroom
Bloomsbury Square, London, WC1B 4DA
Ahead of IWD2025, please join Clarity Leadership as we hear from leaders and generate discussion around the key themes of gender equality. Ahead of International Women’s Day
Ahead of International Women’s Day 2025, please join Clarity Leadership as we invite you to join us for an open and inclusive morning of presentations and lively debate. To follow the IWD 2025 theme, #AcclerateAction, the speakers will be generating discussion and debate around female leadership, gender equality and the creation of an inclusive and more gender-equal world.
We will be joined by two exceptional leaders, Lee Chambers, Founding Director of Male Allies UK, and Riham Satti, Co-Founder and CEO of MeVitae, Creating Fairness in the Workplace. They will share their experiences, challenges, and the obstacles they’ve overcome in their efforts to create a more equal world.
We also invite you to hear research, experiences, and views from a group of leaders who identify as women from several leading organisations, including Pfizer, Microsoft, Vodafone, Reckitt, and Bayer. The speakers join us from all over the world and around the UK, providing a global perspective on their discussions. This is the culmination of six months’ work by 16 leaders who identify as women, who have been through our Women in Leadership Programme. The final part of their journey has been the design and delivery of this event.
This is an event for everyone and we look forward to welcoming you!
Free
27/02/2025 12:30 - 13:30(GMT+00:00)
We are delighted to be joined by Laura Bates, Best-selling Author, Keynote Speaker and Founder of the Everyday Sexism Project.
Laura will be setting out the existing and potential ways in which emerging technologies can have unintended negative impacts on women and marginalised groups, both in and outside the workplace. From the metaverse and deepfake technology to AI and adult robots, these technologies are fast becoming the building blocks of our future societies, so it is vital that we understand the risks and act now to prevent them from reinventing existing forms of inequality in our brave new world.
Laura Bates is a best-selling author, keynote speaker and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project. Her books include Everyday Sexism, Girl Up and Fix the System, Not the Women. Laura writes regularly for the New York Times, Guardian and others, and is a frequent media commentator and consultant for TV productions tackling issues around gender inequality.
She works closely with government, schools, businesses, police forces and bodies from the United Nations to the Council of Europe on sexism and inequality.
In recognition of Laura’s work surrounding sexism and gender inequality, she was awarded a British Empire Medal in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours List and has been named Woman of the Year by Cosmopolitan, Red Magazine and The Sunday Times Magazine. She is also an Honorary Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Please note, this event will be hosted as a Teams Town hall. Please register your place on Eventbrite and we will share the Teams meeting link.
We look forward to seeing you!
free
27feb18:0020:30Planning and Goals Workshop | WeAreTheCity
27/02/2025 18:00 - 20:30(GMT+00:00)
Nomura
1 Angel Lane, London, EC4R 3AB
Join Dr Vanessa Vallely OBE to discover why and how to create your career strategy and plan in order to
This interactive session is aimed at injecting the “va va voom” back into your career.
Dr Vanessa Vallely OBE, CEO of WeAreTheCity, will share why leaving your career solely in the hands of your line manager is no longer enough. Vanessa will provide insights on how to take charge of your career, create a strategic plan, and actively seek opportunities to propel your professional growth.
The workshop focuses on why and how to create a career strategy and plan, to unlock your potential and path to success. This session is not about theory, science or blue sky thinking, it is about a realistic look at what you want to achieve and actions to take in order to get where you want to go!
Session includes:
By the end of this session, participants will have the foundation of a career plan they can continue to develop and implement throughout 2025.
We will close the evening with networking and drinks/canapés.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Please note that on arrival at Nomura guests will be asked to provide photographic ID, a passport or driving licence.