The 2025 Wedu Women’s Leadership Awards have officially concluded.
This year, the Awards spotlighted extraordinary women and allies who are redefining leadership across South and Southeast Asia, addressing some of the region’s most urgent challenges including climate resilience, care leadership, and economic empowerment.
Rooted in Wedu’s Strategic Vision for 2025–2027, the Awards also introduced the first-ever Mentorship Award, honoring those who dedicate their time and expertise to uplifting women across the region.
We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who nominated, participated, and joined us in celebrating these inspiring leaders.
Sadia works at the intersection of environmental health, gender equity, and community resilience in some of Bangladesh’s most climate-vulnerable regions. Through projects like CATA-EARTH, she co-created community-led planetary health curricula and influenced national dialogue on climate and health. Her work bridges communities, researchers, and policymakers, ensuring women and marginalised voices shape just, lasting solutions.
For over a decade, Nyein Nyein has embodied care as leadership—mentoring young professionals, supporting her community, and uplifting her family across borders. Through her HR work, mentoring roles, and personal advocacy, she integrates empathy, resilience, and wellbeing into leadership. Her story shows that consistent acts of care can transform lives and communities.
Founder of Nectar Studio, Cho turned adversity into innovation by creating an AI-powered interview coaching platform that expands access to career opportunities. A longtime Wedu mentor and advocate for women in tech, she combines empathy and expertise to democratise employability across Asia. Her leadership proves that courage and conviction can turn barriers into breakthroughs.
A researcher and mentor, Charlotte uplifts women in STEM through academic guidance, mental health advocacy, and solidarity in action. Her mentees describe her as transformative—helping them find confidence and belonging in research and leadership. She embodies the power of mentorship to spark collective growth and lasting change.
This award honours women who are spearheading environmental resilience efforts—whether through education, advocacy, pioneering climate solutions, or driving grassroots initiatives—and model leadership rooted in the understanding that human beings have a responsibility as part of the web of nature.
Nominees should exemplify:
This award aligns with Wedu’s 2025–2027 strategic goal of empowering 1,000 women leaders in South and Southeast Asia have the skills, resources, and networks to drive climate-resilient solutions by 2027 and the sub-goal of a minimum of 180 women who are creating climate-resilient solutions, are engaged through Wedu Local Chapter communities in India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
This award recognises women whose leadership emerges through care—whether as parents, domestic workers, nurses, community caregivers, or family supporters. Whether paid or unpaid, formal or informal, their work sustains families, builds resilience, and enables the functioning of society. This award redefines care as powerful leadership, essential to every aspect of life, and celebrates women whose care creates deep social impact.
Note: We recognise that caregiving impact comes in varied forms, can be deeply personal and often difficult to quantify in conventional ways. Nominees will be evaluated not by numbers alone, but by the meaning, depth, and context of their care as described through their stories and community connections.
This award aligns with Wedu’s 2025–2027 strategic goal of recognising unpaid care work as a critical factor in advancing women’s leadership, by women leaders and our allies. By the end of 2027, a minimum of 180 women who are affected by multiple care burdens, are engaged in Wedu Local Chapter community conversations and events in India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
This award recognises exceptional women leaders driving innovation, resilience, and impact through Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The Trailblazing MSMEs Award honours individuals who not only lead successful enterprises but also create meaningful economic opportunities within their communities, breaking barriers for more women to grow their financial capital.
This award aligns with Wedu’s 2025–2027 strategic goal of empowering 1,000 women leaders through targeted support for MSMEs. It highlights and elevates the critical role that women entrepreneurs play in driving inclusive economic development.
This award recognises individuals in the Wedu community who, through mentorship, advocacy, and consistent support, demonstrate a deep commitment to advancing gender equality. As allies, they play a critical role in challenging bias, creating access, and building inclusive leadership spaces where women can thrive.
Questions? Reach out to: community@weduglobal.org
Any woman or mentor that is part of the Wedu Community can be nominated. This means:
Anyone who has sufficient information about the nominee and can complete the sections required in the nominations form can nominate.
There is no limit to how many nominations you can submit, however the nominations form requires compelling information on the nominee to be submitted.
Yes, go for it! We love self-nominations. Too often, women downplay their achievements, but we see strength in owning your story. Wedu Awards are your space to showcase your leadership, resilience, and contribution. Give yourself permission to be proud.
Yes! The Flame of Solidarity Award is meant to honour our allies, wherever in the world they are from and however they identify.
Note: The reference fields are data-validated to ensure error-free responses. To proceed through the form where references are not required, please enter 00000000 for phone numbers and NA@xyz.com for email addresses.
We will only contact the references provided if the nomination is shortlisted, as part of our due diligence process.
The nominations portal closes on July 31 at 12 midnight ICT.
Our carefully selected Jury will assess the nominations and select 4 individuals per category for the shortlist.
The shortlists will be published in late August and our awarding ceremony will take place on September 30 at 6PM ICT.
Make sure to keep an eye out for when we introduce our Jury during the first two weeks of August.
Winners of the three awards for women leaders will receive:
For the Flame of Solidarity awardee, they will receive: