IFC–AEMTL is proud to announce 11 winners of the 2024 Women in Business Awards

DILI, 20 november 2024 (TATOLI)— The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Associação Empresarial das Mulheres de Timor-Leste (AEMTL), in partnership with the governments of Australia and New Zealand, today announced the 11 winners of Timor-Leste’s first Women in Business Awards (WBA), which celebrate the achievements of women in business and finance.

The awards highlight the importance of promoting women’s leadership and recognizing their contributions to the private sector in Timor-Leste. The awards showcase the successes and initiatives of women in business and finance, creating role models to inspire a new generation of female entrepreneurs and leaders.

The event brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including government officials, business leaders, and representatives from international organizations. Recognizing these exceptional women not only highlighted their individual achievements but also highlighted the collective progress that has been made towards gender equality in Timor-Leste.

AEMTL Chairperson, Hergui Luina Fernandes Alves, believes that women’s economic empowerment is not a solo effort but requires everyone’s involvement to increase women’s economic power and influence in the economy.

“It is inspiring to see women who are able to support others, creating an impact that leads to a better life for the community. Recognizing women in business is a recognition of their efforts and achievements,” explained AEMTL Chairperson at the WBA 2024 celebration at the GMN Bebora Multipurpose Room this tuesday.

David Freedman, IFC Resident Representative to Timor-Leste, emphasized that IFC is committed to empowering women and helping overcome barriers to success.

“Accelerating progress on gender equality is critical to Timor-Leste’s development, so we are proud to showcase outstanding achievements through the country’s first Women in Business Awards,” he concluded.

The awards are given to winners across eleven categories and are launched as part of IFC’s Timor-Leste Financial Sector Skills Program.

The program, delivered in partnership with Banco Central de Timor-Leste (BCTL) and supported by the governments of Australia and New Zealand, aims to drive greater financial inclusion through the development of the financial sector in Timor-Leste through targeted skills initiatives.

The following are the names of the winners from five categories and eleven different subcategories:

Best Initiative Promoting Financial Inclusion for Women (Organization), Domingas dos Santos – Credit Union Lanamona (Bobonaro–Maliana)
Best Initiative Promoting Entrepreneurship for Women (Organization), Sonia Muir – Proema (Dili)
Woman-led Business Owner of the Year—Established Business (Dili), Claricia Lay (Dili)
Woman-led Business Owner of the Year – Established Business (Outside Dili), Angelina dos Santos (Ainaro–Maubisse)
Woman-led Start-Up of the Year (Product), Patricia Madalena Mendes (Dili)
Woman-led Start-Up of the Year (Services), Leonilda Noronha Ximenes (Dili)
Outstanding Mentor or Coach for Women Economic Empowerment (Individual), Maria Helena L. de Jesus Pires (Dili)
Woman Corporate Leader of the Year (Individual), Simone Assis (Dili)
Career Role Model of the Year (Individual), Ligia Quiolia de Jesus B. Ferreira (Dili)
Outstanding Woman Leader in the Financial Services Sector (Individual), Natalia Jaquelina Do Rosario Reveals Ribeiro (Dili)
Best Gender-Focused Financial Innovation (Organization), Banco Nacional de Comercio de Timor-Leste—BNCTL (Dili)

WBA 2024 winner Domingas dos Santos from Maliana, Bobonaro municipality, thanked the jury for recognizing her and her business, Credit Union Lanamona, in the Best Initiative Promoting Financial Inclusion for Women (Organization) subcategory award.

“I am very happy to be standing here, and with this initiative, I built Lanamona with 13 people in 2018, and now it has become a credit union. Once again, thank you for this valuable recognition; this is a great motivation for me,” she said with emotion.

Lanamona Credit Union, starting from a small women’s group focused on savings and loans, was founded by Domingas dos Santos, with a simple collective contribution. Today, this credit union stands as a testament to the power of community-driven success, providing essential financial services to thousands of people.

The 2024 WBA Awards did not provide prizes in the form of money or materials to the winners and finalists, but 11 winners took home the WBA Trophy along with a certificate of recognition, while 17 finalists also received a certificate of recognition.

The following are the names of the 17 WBA 2024 finalists, consisting of: