Last year’s inaugural Women in Insurance Awards were a huge success – far exceeding expectations – and we want to maintain the momentum. We had over 400 entries and anticipate that growing this year as more people and firms realise the important of showcasing success.
The insurance industry can point to significant progress towards creating a genuinely diverse, equal opportunities sector but the consensus is there is still a long way to go, especially when it comes to narrowing the gender pay gap, pushing for more flexible working arrangements, and increasing the number of women in senior positions. Those who make it to the top are outstanding role models but we all know there are still far too few women in those key front line roles.
The 2020 awards will be something special. They will be bringing to the fore many great stories, especially those of how women across the insurance sector have led the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many women will be facing a unique and unforeseen set of challenges. Working from home, balancing work and home life, taking on key roles in home teaching, coping with personal and family stress while continuing to make top class contributions to their businesses are all part of the world we have been unwillingly thrust into. There will be many, many stories of how the women in our market have risen to those challenges.
As well as extending the categories, we have expanded the judging panel. Your support for the awards in their first year ensured that the achievements of women across the industry started to gain the profile they really deserve. You can help raise that profile even higher by making sure we see all your great achievements among the nominations and entries for this year’s awards. Awards do not just reward achievement, they inspire others. Let’s make sure we spread a little inspiration across the insurance market.