4th Athena40 Awards

Women's Interventions for a Sustainable Future 

In an inspiring celebration of women’s empowerment and leadership, Athena40 hosted the Women’s Interventions for a Sustainable Future Awards on March 6 to showcase the extraordinary achievements of eight remarkable women across various categories, honouring their passion and perseverance to drive meaningful change and create a brighter future for our societies.

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The Athena40 Awards brought together in London more than 150 thought leaders, policymakers, and visionaries dedicated to advancing sustainability and gender equality worldwide, who gathered to recognise and celebrate the winners in eight distinct categories, each representing a unique aspect of empowerment and progress.

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Elizabeth Filippouli, Founder of Athena40 and Global Thinkers Forum said: “This evening is a testament to the strength, resilience and vision that women’s leadership can bring to every arena from business to the arts, from technology to public service, to media, STEM, philanthropy and beyond. Still, only about 30% of global leadership positions are held by women, and that highlights the ongoing need for better representation and more mentorship.”

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The Rt Hon Baroness Ashton gave a powerful speech saying: “This is now a time for real leadership. Leadership is not about strong man tactics. It is about thoughtful ways to find solutions. Women bring different skills, we deal with things differently, we deal with aggression differently, and we build relationships differently.  The greatest combination that can solve any problem on the planet is when you bring women and men together”. 

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“The voice of women and girls are very important to be heard. Their skills in decision-making, in diplomacy, in dialogue, is something that should be used everywhere, because women have better understanding of what dialogue means. Dialogue is a state of mind”, said Ambassador Katalin Bogyay who won the Award in the category UN SDG Ambassador.

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This inspiring event was under the auspices of the Greek Embassy in London and was co-hosted with the London Press Club and KNOCK Creative Partners.

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“We were delighted, once again, to co-host this event and be in the company of such amazing women who are doing important, sustainable work in the world,” said Sasha Pick, Managing Director of KNOCK UK & Europe. “I, along with colleague, Pete Leacock, KNOCK’s Chief Marketing Officer, were grateful for strengthening relationships across this revered membership of Athena40 and Global Thinkers Forum executives. An absolute delight, both personally and professionally.”

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Sustainability & Business: The award for Sustainability and Business was given to Lorraine Hariton former CEO of Catalyst, who has been committed to the advancement of women in the workplace.

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ESG & The Arts: Founder and Director of ASHTAR Theatre, Iman Aoun, was honoured for her work for social and political justice and equity in Palestine and worldwide through theatre.

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Sustainability & Philanthropy: This award was given to social entrepreneur and philanthropist Sophia Swire, honouring her tireless work on stability and prosperity through enterprise and workforce development in post conflict countries.

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Tech & Innovation for Good: Inventor Fatima Alkaabi was recognised for her inventions, and for her innovative contributions to society.

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ESG & The Media: This award was given to passionate advocate for women’s visibility and empowerment, Lalita Taylor FRSA,  BBC Executive Producer and Chair of the BBC WiStem.

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UN SDGs Ambassador: President of the UN Association of Hungary, Ambassador Katalin Bogyay was recognised as an active promoter and supporter of cultural diplomacy and a strong advocate of gender equality.

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Sustainability & Environment: Fashion designer Stella McCartney won this award for her cruelty-free ethos and dedication to the environment, and her devotion to supporting sustainability.

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Governance & Ethics: Dame Ruth Cairnie was recognised for her transformative role in supporting national security and moving sustainability to the forefront.