Application phase for Digital Female Leader Award underway

Female founders, experts and other creative women can apply for the prize online until July 26. A high-caliber jury will select the 18 winners.

Women are underrepresented in the digital economy, as studies repeatedly show, including the "Female Founders Report" by Startbase. Only 11.9% of start-up founders were female in 2020. The proportion is even lower in booming sectors such as finance and insurance or ICT. One reason for this: Few women hold prominent positions, whether as founders, CEOs or otherwise present faces.

"Men are visible, women are busy," says Tijen Onaran, summarizing the imbalance that she believes exists. Onaran, who has been one of the most prominent campaigners for more diversity and equal rights in the start-up world for years, therefore launched the Digital Female Leader Award in 2018. In 18 categories, from digital leadership to fintech and sustainability, this award is intended to honor women who act as role models. "It's not just about women in leadership positions," says Onaran, whose company Global Digital Women is organizing the award.

The application phase for this year's edition of the award runs until July 26. Potential candidates can apply themselves, but can also be nominated by others. The award is not limited to Germany. "In 2020, we received over 850 applications and nominations - from 19 countries," says Onaran.

The winners are selected by a high-caliber jury, which includes actress Thelma Buabeng, former Federal Minister of Justice and Economics Brigitte Zypries and TU Munich professor and multi-supervisory board member Ann-Kristin Achleitner.

The winners will then be announced and prominently presented over several days as part of the "Journey to Diversity". "We are bringing female founders and designers to the deserved stage with the DFLA! Visible for everyone!", affirms Tijen Onaran.

The categories and last year's winners at a glance:

Career (Pamela Mkhize, Head of Africa Digital Solutions, Enel Green Power)

Digital Leadership (not awarded in 2020)

Digital Transformation (Phantian Zuesongdham, Head of Digital and Business Transformation and Head of smartPort Program Management, Hamburg Port Authority)

Diversity (Wiebke Ankersen, Managing Director, Allbright Foundation)

Entrepreneurship (Janina Mütze, Founder & Managing Director, Civey)

FinTech/Money (Christine Kiefer, CEO and Founder, RIDE Capital)

Global Hero (Mali M. Baum, CEO & Founder, WLounge & Magda Group)

Health (Raman Saggu, Co-Founder and CEO, Burnie)

Innovation (Sibongile Mongadi, Founder, Uku'hamba)

IT-Tech (Anke Odrig, Managing Director, Little Bird)

Legal (Leah Molatseli, Co-Founder and CEO, Lenoma Legal)

Lifestyle (Stella-Oriana Strüfing, CEO & Co-Founder, Laori Drinks)

Mobility (Carolin Holland, Mobility Intrapreneur, SSB Swiss Federal Railways)

New Work (Helia Burgunder, Chief Customer Officer, UPC Switzerland)

Purpose Communications (not awarded in 2020)

Social Hero (Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, Managing Director, HateAid)

Sustainability (Hannah Helmke, Co-Founder and Managing Director, right. based on science)

Audience Award (Laura Lewandowski, journalist and storyteller)

Startbase is media partner of the Digital Female Leader Awards 2021.