Conference launches awards recognising outstanding women

Awards organised by East Midlands Chamber, which recognise females who excel in business, have been launched at a major conference highlighting the contribution of women in the workplace.

The 2025 Enterprising Women Awards were officially launched at the recent International Women’s Day Conference.

The event saw more than 150 businesswomen from across the East Midlands come together to discuss a variety of topics, including getting more women into senior roles and financial empowerment.

The conference, held at Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium, in Leicester, followed news that 43% of roles on company boards are women and 31% in the 50 largest companies, according to the recent 2025 FTSE Women Leaders Review report.

Taking place on the eve of International Women’s Day, the event, which was organised by the Enterprising Women network, comprised talks and panel discussions, following the worldwide theme of #AccelerateAction.

Business expert Fiona Lambert was the keynote speaker, sharing insight from a wealth of experience across the fashion retail sector, having been managing director of Jaeger at M&S, following senior positions at Next, Asda, Dunelm and River Island.

Eileen Perry MBE DL, co-founder of Enterprising Women, said: “Getting so many of our region’s businesswomen together in one place never stops being vitally important.

“While the recent FTSE Women Leaders Report proved again that progress is accelerating, it’s not accelerating quickly enough.

“It’s encouraging that there’s been an increase in the number of women on boards but 43% is not equal – it’s just a sign we’re going the right way.

“In the top 50 companies that number is only 31% so we’re still far away from where we need to get to.

“In 2025 there shouldn’t still be a gender pay gap. There shouldn’t still be women wondering if they can make it or be recognised for their abilities.

“That means we cannot stop talking, we can’t afford to take the foot off the gas.”

This year, the Enterprising Women Awards are made up of 10 categories.

For more information, including how to enter, visit https://www.emc-dnl.co.uk/services/enterprising-women/enterprising-women-award-winners/.