A star-studded line-up turned up at the Red Women of the Year Awards – including Emilia Fox, Dame Kelly Holmes and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
The Silent Witness actress, Olympic champion and pop singer helped to celebrate female pioneers at the seventh edition of the Awards at the Skylon Bar in the Festival Hall on London’s Southbank.
Other presenters included actresses Joely Richardson, Holliday Grainger and Gemma Chan, as well as fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic and novellist Esther Freud. The event was hosted by broadcaster Gemma Cairney.
Winners included an Oxford University scientist developing chemotherapy drugs, the woman spearheading the This Girl Can campaign and a community activist helping British women at risk of honour-based violence.
Eleanor Stride, 35, a professor of engineering science at the University of Oxford, received a “pioneer” award for her work on chemotherapy drugs. Her work on the “bubble” method of delivery, ensuring that the drugs go to the right place in the body, will reduce the debilitating side effects of treatment.
The “community/charity” award went to Diana Nammi, 50, founder and executive director of Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights (IKWRO), which works with those at risk of honour-based violence, providing support, advice and safe spaces.
Jennie Price, 55, chief executive of Sport England, was recognised in the “media” category for her part in the This Girl Can advertising campaign, which tackles women and girls’ fear of being judged and urges them to exercise more.
Emma Cerrone, 38, co-founder and chief executive of Freeformers, won the “start up” award. For every businessperson trained to be digital-savvy. Her company teaches 16-25 year-olds for free.
The “digital” award went to Jen Hyatt, 56, founder of the Big White Wall – an online community which has supported people with mental health issues since 2007.
Bridget Christie, 43, a comedian, author and actress, uses her comedy to shine a light on prejudice and inequality. With her non-fiction debut, A Book For Her, and her show at the Edinburgh Fringe, she won the “creative” award.
Winning the “style” category was Lulu Kennedy, a designer and founder of Fashion East. She is a fashion industry mentor who has nurtured some of the best in the British fashion industry – including Richard Nicoll and Roksanda Ilincic. Kennedy has also been instrumental in making London Fashion Week a major international event.
Eliza Rebeiro, 22, founded Lives Not Knives a year after being removed from school at the age of 13 – after two of her friends were stabbed. She raises awareness around knife violence and mentors young people without families or support systems, and was named a “woman to watch”.
The Smart Woman, in association with Clinique award went to Georgie Bullen, 21, a Paralympian and founder of Team Insight. She has been visually impaired since the age of five, but competed in the Paralympic GB women’s goalball team at London 2012, and is training for Rio in 2016. Team Insight promotes disability awareness in the workplace.
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