Prime Highlight:
- The IWBD Courage Awards 2026 celebrate purpose-driven women leaders who drive change and accelerate their leadership journeys.
- The initiative also recognises organisations that support women in leadership and foster measurable impact in decision-making and innovation.
Key Facts:
- The awards feature ten categories, including Care, Growth, Power, Women in Tech, Leadership, Purpose, Courage, Positive Leader, Inspire, and Impact.
- Winners will be announced at a ceremony on March 11, 2026, at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah.
Background:
The International Women Board of Directors (IWBD) has officially launched the IWBD Courage Awards 2026, a new initiative designed to recognise bold, purpose-driven women leaders and the organisations that support them.
IWBD, run by On Board Women, works to increase women’s presence on boards and promote gender equality in leadership worldwide. The Courage Awards encourage women leaders to drive change, make decisive moves, and accelerate their leadership journeys.
The awards align with the theme of the upcoming IWBD Women in the Boardroom Annual Summit 2026, which centres on courage. In its official guidance, IWBD said it chose the theme because courage turns ideas into action and dialogue into real outcomes in leadership spaces.
Several industry leaders welcomed the initiative. Sevgi Gur, Chief Marketing Officer at Property Finder, said IWBD’s strong values and purpose are reflected in everything it does. Dina Amin, Chief Marketing Officer for Google Cloud in the Middle East, Africa, Russia and Turkey, said the platform offers valuable and insightful engagement with diverse leaders.
The IWBD Courage Awards 2026 feature ten categories, including Care, Growth, Power, Women in Tech, Leadership, Purpose, Courage, Positive Leader, Inspire, and Impact. These categories recognise initiatives and leadership stories that promote wellbeing, development, decision-making power, innovation, and measurable change for women.
Applications are free this year and open to women leaders and organisations shaping leadership culture and future decision-making. Submissions require a short story, supporting visuals or videos, and a clear case for the chosen category. The deadline for entries is February 13, 2026.
Ebru Tuygun, CEO of GVGL, said the awards honour women who dared to lead first and organisations that stood behind them. Terry Kane of The Trade Desk added that IWBD stands out for its focus on action and measurable impact.
The winners will be announced at a formal ceremony on March 11, 2026, at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah.
