Our new Empowering Women awards recognizes companies and organizations that have shown a strong commitment to supporting and elevating women in South Carolina.

Empowering Women is designed to showcase tangible and innovative efforts by companies, law firms, nonprofits and other organizations to advance women in the workplace and community.

Mission:
The Empowering Women awards shine a light on companies and organizations that have demonstrated tangible efforts and documented results in supporting and elevating women in South Carolina.

Format:
Empowering Women honorees are selected by SCBiz News and a panel of judges made up of business professionals, applications and letters of recommendation are judged based on documented hiring and promoting of women; leadership positions held by women; advocacy for the cause of women internally and externally; and efforts to cultivate the next generation of women professionals.

Honorees will be profiled in print and online. Each honoree will be celebrated at an awards celebration in February.

Nomination and Application:
Anyone can nominate a company for the Empowering Women awards. Follow this nomination link and fill out the form. The company contact you provide will receive a congratulations notification email with a link to fill out the application. Your nomination form will be included in the judging packet of your nominee.

To be considered for the Empowering Women awards, companies must complete an application form. A company is welcome to apply with or without being nominated. Follow this application link and fill out the form. There is a $39 fee to submit the application.

Criteria:
Program judges will use a variety of criteria to evaluate companies and to showcase those that have earned recognition. Empowering Women will honor companies that can demonstrate a commitment to some or all of the following:

Have a track record of recruiting, hiring, and promoting women in their organization.

• Offer a mentoring program for women.
• Work toward systemic change in society to combat inequality.
• Place women on their board or C-Suite.
• Contribute to advancing the cause of women through outside philanthropic or community endeavors.
• Support programs that assist marginalized women.
• Provide scholarship assistance to women.

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and benefits please contact your account manager or email dbischoff@scbiznews.com.

View the nominations page here.