Since 1987, the Women Who Make a Difference Awards have celebrated the tremendous accomplishments and contributions that IWF members have made to their communities and the world. The annual awards are presented alongside the International Hall of Fame Award.
Former Women Who Make a Difference Awardees include:
Gloria Allred, Esq., renowned civil and human rights lawyer (The Trusteeship – IWF Southern California)
Dr. Cheong Koon Hean, urban planner, architect and Chief Executive Officer of the Housing and Development Board of Singapore (IWF Singapore)
Ilya Espino de Marotta, EVP for Engineering and Programs Management of the Panama Canal, and the woman who re-engineered the Panama Canal (IWF Panama)
Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, visionary and social innovator, and Founder of Focus Ireland (IWF Ireland)
The Honorable Madeleine Kunin, former Governor of Vermont and US Ambassador to Switzerland (IWF Vermont)
Zanele Mbeki, Founder and Patron of the Women’s Development Bank Trust and former First Lady of South Africa (IWF South Africa)
Denise Morrison, Chief Executive Officer of Campbell Soup Company (IWF New Jersey)
Nyamko Sabuni, Swedish Minister for Gender Equality (IWF Sweden)
Jo Luck, CEO of Heifer International (IWF Arkansas)
Our Canadian recipients are:
2002: Ann Medina, President, Medina Productions, Inc
2007: Kathleen E. Sendall, Senior Vice-President, North American Natural Gas Petro-Canada
2013: Fiona Macfarlane, Managing Partner, Vancouver and Western Canada & Chief Inclusiveness Officer EY
2017: Mary Rozsa de Coquet, President of the Rozsa Foundation
2019: Agnes Di Leonardi, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary & Board Director, Mazda Canada Inc. (Toronto Chapter)
Monette Malewski, Founder M Bacal Group (Montreal Chapter)
All Award candidates must meet the following criteria:
IWF Membership: The candidate is an active, current member of the International Women’s Forum. She embodies the values of IWF’s founders and demonstrates innovative, tenacious leadership in the face of challenges and adversity.
Professional Leadership: The candidate has exhibited transformational professional leadership over the arc of her career. She is recognized as an authority in her profession nationally or globally.
Personal Leadership: The impact of her personal leadership is noteworthy and recognizable. She is grounded in her community and her engagement connects local to global and global to local.
The International Women’s Forum appreciates your time and effort in identifying a truly exceptional leader from IWF Canada. Thank you for your continued support of the organization and its mission to advance women leaders around the world.