Deadline: 30-Jun-2026
The 2026 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards recognize organizations that actively promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in workplaces and across business ecosystems. The awards assess how well organizations implement the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), including inclusive workplace policies, leadership practices, sustainability reporting, and programs that support women’s economic participation.
Key Focus Areas
Applications should focus on gender equality in business practices, workplace equality policies, women’s empowerment programs, corporate sustainability reporting with a gender perspective, inclusive HR policies, inclusive leadership development, and documentation of initiatives that promote women’s economic empowerment.
Who is Eligible
Eligible applicants include companies, SMEs, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and organizations implementing gender equality initiatives. Applicants must demonstrate relevant policies, practices, or programs aligned with women’s empowerment. Both established organizations and early-stage ventures are eligible, even without extensive documentation.
Application Structure and Process
The application includes three parts: applicant information, general questions, and category-specific questions. Applicants may apply for up to two categories within a single submission.
Applicant Information
This section includes basic organizational details such as company profile, contact information, and operational background.
General Questions (25% Weightage)
This section includes multiple-choice questions that assess alignment with the Women’s Empowerment Principles. It evaluates workplace equality policies, inclusion practices, HR systems, and overall organizational commitment to gender equality.
Category-Specific Questions (75% Weightage)
This section requires detailed written responses describing the selected initiative. It includes objectives, implementation steps, outcomes, and measurable impact. This section carries the highest evaluation weight.
Scoring Breakdown
General questions contribute 25% of the total score, while category-specific questions contribute 75%. This structure prioritizes real-world impact and implementation quality.
Required Supporting Documentation
Applicants are encouraged to submit HR policies, equality frameworks, sustainability reports, program reports, and internal documentation. Supporting multimedia such as articles, photos, videos, and website links may also be included. Start-ups may submit written descriptions if formal documentation is unavailable. All submissions remain confidential and are used only for evaluation.
How to Apply
Applicants should prepare organizational information and select up to two categories. They must complete general questions, provide detailed category-specific responses, upload supporting documents, and submit the application after review.
Tips for a Strong Application
Strong applications clearly connect initiatives to gender equality outcomes, provide measurable impact data, ensure consistency across responses, include strong documentation, and highlight innovation in empowerment practices.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistakes include incomplete documentation, vague responses, weak alignment with WEPs principles, ignoring scoring weightage, lack of measurable outcomes, and irrelevant supporting materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the WEPs Awards?
- The WEPs Awards recognize organizations that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through structured policies, programs, and leadership practices aligned with the Women’s Empowerment Principles.
- How many categories can an applicant apply for?
- Applicants can apply for up to two categories within a single application.
- Both categories must be relevant to the initiative being presented.
- How is the application evaluated?
- Evaluation is based on two components:
- General questions (25% weightage) assessing alignment with WEPs principles and workplace policies
- Category-specific questions (75% weightage) assessing detailed implementation and impact of initiatives
- Evaluation is based on two components:
- Are supporting documents mandatory?
- Supporting documents are strongly recommended but not strictly mandatory.
- Start-ups and small organizations may submit written descriptions if formal documentation is not available.
- What types of supporting documents can be submitted?
- Acceptable supporting materials include:
- HR policies and workplace equality frameworks
- Annual reports and sustainability/ESG reports
- Program-specific impact reports
- Internal case studies or documentation
- Articles, photos, videos, and website links
- Acceptable supporting materials include:
- Can start-ups apply without formal reports?
- Yes, start-ups and entrepreneurs can apply without formal reports.
- They may submit detailed written descriptions of initiatives instead of formal documentation.
- Is the submitted information kept confidential?
- Yes, all submitted materials are confidential.
- They are used only for evaluation purposes and not shared publicly.
Conclusion
The 2026 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards highlight impactful efforts in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. Successful applications demonstrate strong alignment with WEPs principles, provide detailed and structured initiative descriptions, and include evidence of measurable impact and implementation quality.
For more information, visit UN Women.