Western Digital announces the ‘V-WA 50’ awards to celebrate women leaders

Western Digital announced the ‘V-WA 50’ awards in partnership with the Vedica Women’s Alliance to amplify the voices of women leaders. Under this initiative, 50 professionals will be awarded for their contributions. This includes senior women professionals across various fields and men who have advocated for inclusion in their organisations. The application forms are available and will remain open till May 2021.

An online award ceremony will be hosted by the end of June 2021.

Through V-WA 50, Western Digital amplifies women’s voices and strengthens its commitment to a more diverse future. The initiative aims to create a platform to bring women together who are at the top of their fields, recognise their achievements, and help create a community of winners.

“We are excited to introduce the ‘V-WA 50’ to further augment the voices of women leaders and shine much-deserved spotlights on them. Celebrating women at the top of their organisations inspires young girls and working professionals to emulate them. This is a sine qua non intervention and change to help create better balanced gender diversity roadmaps,” said Supria Dhanda, Vice President and Country Manager, India, Western Digital. “I am confident that the ‘V-WA 50’ will empower women leaders across the country and catalyse the next generation of upcoming leaders, bringing in a new change in the ecosystem,” she added.

“Women are 50% of the population, make invaluable contributions in the world, and, increasingly, in their workplaces – but remain under-recognised and unsung. With ‘V-WA 50’, we are committed to changing this and ‘making women visible’. By presenting strong role models for the generations to come, we will set the wheels of change in motion, irreversibly,” said Anuradha Das Mathur, Founder of the Vedica Women’s Alliance and the Founder and Dean of the Vedica Scholars Programme for Women.

The forum will reach out to relevant hubs and networks from various industries to invite candidates for ‘V-WA 50’. The jury will include 15 plus renowned leaders across sectors, who will select the best candidates. This initiative will allow women to showcase their remarkable contributions, inspiring young aspiring professionals.

The ‘V-WA 50’ will commemorate senior women leaders who have excelled in their careers and made a great contribution in their respective industries. The forum will also honour male leaders who demonstrated their support for women leaders and equality in the workplace.

Some of the award categories are Lifetime Achievement for exceptional leaders who have made an impact in their organisations and the community, Women in Technology/R&D, Government, Social Impact, Academia, Manufacturing, Finance, Marketing & Sales, and a special category for Men of Impact to recognise men who have demonstrated their commitment to equality and advocated for inclusion.