The Golden Women Awards are the merit-based recognition women founders, CEOs and leaders compete for worldwide — judged by an independent jury and celebrated at the annual Dubai gala. The same evaluation rigour as our CEO and Entrepreneur Awards, with categories built for how women's leadership emerges.
Recognition for women in leadership remains structurally under-allocated across nearly every industry — in nomination volume, jury composition and press coverage alike. The Golden Women Awards exist as a deliberate counter: a credible, independently judged platform where the merit of women's work is examined on its own terms and recognised at the level it deserves. This is not a softer benchmark — it applies the same rigour as our CEO, GM and Entrepreneur programmes, which is exactly what makes winning meaningful.
The Golden Women Awards are Golden Tree's dedicated recognition platform for women in business and leadership. Founders, CEOs, executives, professionals and rising leaders are evaluated by an independent jury against a published set of criteria — never by who paid the most.
Categories are structured around the contexts in which women's leadership often emerges, so an early-stage founder is never judged against a multinational executive. That fair structure is what makes recognition meaningful at every stage — and what makes these women in business awards genuinely worth entering.
Independent jury. Published criteria. No influence from sponsorship or advertising. Winners are celebrated at a black-tie gala in Dubai attended by industry chiefs and international media, and the winner logo can be used across profiles, websites and marketing for the full year that follows.
Recognition in credible women in business awards is more than a trophy — it is a career and brand asset that keeps working long after the gala.
Award status supports board appointments, keynote invitations and executive-search visibility.
Press-release support and network amplification put your recognition in front of new audiences.
An independent jury's endorsement carries weight that paid placements never will.
Third-party validation strengthens promotion, fundraising and partnership conversations.
Join leaders from 100+ countries competing on the world stage at the Dubai gala.
Meet founders, executives and decision-makers from across the international business community.
If you are a woman leading or building a business, you are eligible. These awards welcome self-nominations and third-party nominations alike, across every industry.
Women building ventures at any stage, from bootstrapped to scaled.
Senior leaders running companies, divisions or functions.
Emerging talent and women under 30 in dedicated categories.
Leaders in marketing, finance, technology, real estate and more.
Women transforming and leading legacy enterprises.
Hospitality, technology, real estate, healthcare, retail and beyond.
From sector leadership to individual achievement, the categories below are a sample of the recognition available. Explore the full list on the Golden Women Awards programme page.
Complete the short form on the official nomination page — nominate yourself or a woman whose work you admire.
Our team verifies eligibility, confirms category fit and may request supporting documentation.
The jury scores each nominee on documented achievement, leadership and impact against published criteria — strictly on merit.
Finalists and winners are notified, typically three to four months after submission.
Winners are celebrated at the black-tie ceremony and receive the official winner package and logo.
Nominations for the 2026 Golden Women Awards are open now, ahead of the annual gala on 14 November 2026 in Dubai. Many of the most career-defining recognitions come early — and dedicated categories for emerging leaders mean women do not have to wait until their fifties to be visible.
Recognition compounds. The sooner you nominate, the sooner the winner logo, certificate and media support begin working for your profile and your company. Review the winner package to see exactly what recognition includes.
The Golden Women Awards are a merit-based, independently judged recognition programme for women shaping business and leadership — founders, CEOs, executives and rising leaders across every industry, with winners honoured at the annual Dubai gala.
Submit a nomination through the official nomination page. You can nominate yourself or a woman whose work you admire. The form takes about fifteen minutes and supporting evidence of achievement strengthens any submission.
Any woman in a leadership, founder, executive or professional role is eligible across every industry and stage of career, from emerging leaders to established executives, with dedicated categories for different sectors and seniority levels.
Yes. Dedicated categories for women under 30 and rising leaders ensure emerging talent is recognised early, alongside categories for senior executives and established founders.
Strictly merit-based. Sponsorship, advertising and gala ticket purchases have no influence on jury decisions. An independent panel evaluates documented achievement, leadership and impact against published criteria.
Winners receive a custom-engraved trophy, winner plaque and medal, a digital certificate and badge, the official winner logo for unlimited marketing use, and ongoing media promotion across the Golden Tree network.
Typically three to four months from nomination submission to winner notification, followed by recognition at the annual Dubai gala.
Yes. Self-nominations and third-party nominations are both welcomed and evaluated on exactly the same merit-based criteria.
Join leading women founders, CEOs and executives competing on the world's most respected merit-based platform. The nomination takes about fifteen minutes.