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ProWoc is Recipient of the Blaze Inclusion Award in Denmark and the Nordics

by | Aug 30, 2022 | Allyship, Announcement, Awards, DEIB, Success, Support, Thank You

Nordic Blaze Inclusion Award in the Catalyst category

We are so very thrilled that ProWoc is the winner of the Blaze Inclusion Award in Denmark and the Nordics. The award in the Catalyst category is given by the Diversify Collective from Norway and recognizes work done by an organisation or individual within DEIB. It is awarded to “an organisation that works to externally advance equality and equity on gender, race, ethnicity, disability inclusion, sexual orientation, and/or religion within society. A catalyst for change.” The organizations or individuals are nominated and then selected by voting across the Nordic region. The National Award was received in June 2022 and the Regional/Nordic award in August 2022.

 We would like to thank all those who voted for us and have supported us along the way. Looking back, we can see the impact that we have had.

• We created community for Women of Colour (WoC) to be inspired, empowered, and supported in their professional and personal development.

• We promote positive images of WoC and established the first Impact Award that honours the achievements of WoC role models. The first recipient in 2021 was Dr. Poornima Luthra.

• We foster allyship and collaborate with individuals, organizations and companies from different ethnicities, genders, and industries to make sustainable change. We have collaborated with Deloitte, Novo Nordisk, HBK, Djøf, Unique Human Capital, UK Embassy in Denmark, Above & Beyond Group, Female Invest, Diversity Factor, International House and many more.

• We planned and executed the first conference on allyship in Denmark November 2021 and have participated in many workshops and summits on diversity and inclusion.

Nordic Blaze Inclusion Award in the Catalyst category

ProWoc’s acceptance speech

We are so humbled, honoured, and grateful to receive this award. When we started ProWoc in 2019, we never imagined that we would be standing here today receiving an award for the work that we do.

Our work is driven by our passion for doing what is right, for supporting and empowering women and for transforming the Nordics into a place that is truly inclusive for ourselves and for our children, because after all, this is our home and we do not want to be marginalized in our own home.

We express our deepest thanks to all who voted for us and of course to our members, many volunteers, Advisory Board, sponsors, partners, and allies; without whom, ProWoc would not be the organization it is today. A very special thank you to the Founders of ProWoc – Selim Ablo-Nielsen and Dr. Phaedria Marie St.Hilaire.

We express great gratitude to Chisom Udeze and the Diversify Collective for this amazing summit and for creating the Blaze Awards to acknowledge and celebrate the tireless work that we do to make our environment and society more equitable and fairer. While we do not work for accolades, this recognition does fuel our passion and strengthens our resolve to do even more.

Congratulations to all other equally deserving candidates from across the Nordics. Each of the nominees and everyone attending this Summit is a change agent and together with ProWoc, you are changing mindsets and shifting the paradigm.

We do acknowledge that there is still much to do, because changing culture and mindset is difficult. Power is not given up willingly.

“A rising tide lifts all boats” and while that phrase normally refers to economic equity, I think it applies equally well to DEIB. We are the rising tide and to lift even more boats and transform the Nordics into a more inclusive and equitable society, we have got to make the tide bigger and higher. We must work together with those who are already part of the movement, as well as those who are not yet part of it or may even resist.

Let us take the energy and inspiration from yesterday’s summit and go out there to make our tide higher and together transform the Nordics in a sustainable way.