Women of faith are the backbone of all faith communities and religious institutions and are often at the forefront of social transformation, leading multi-religious efforts that promote Shared Sacred Flourishing. The Women of Excellence in Multi-Religious Action Awards amplify the recognition of their indispensability in realising a just, peaceful, and sustainable world.

Religions for Peace invites individuals and organisations to nominate grassroots women of faith – religious leaders and non-traditional faith actors – who have contributed to the six Key Strategic Priority Areas of Religions for Peace through multireligious collaboration at the grassroot level.

The priorities comprise: Promoting Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies; Advancing Gender Equality; Nurturing Sustainable Environment; Championing Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion; Strengthening Interreligious Education; Fostering Multi-religious Collaboration and Global Partnerships.

The following criteria should be considered before completing the nomination form:

• To be eligible, the nominee must be a woman of faith who is formally affiliated with a Religions for Peace Interreligious Council or Chapter, Women of Faith Network, or Interfaith Youth Network at the regional, national, or subnational level.
• Members of the Award Selection Committee and previous Award recipients are not eligible for nomination for the Award.
• Self-nominations will not be accepted.
• Award recipients will be selected from nominated women of faith—religious leaders and non-traditional faith actors—who have contributed to the six Strategic Priorities of Religions for Peace through multireligious collaboration at the grassroots and local community levels and whose contributions have not yet received the recognition they deserve at national, regional, or global levels.

The prestigious award ceremony will take place in New York, USA, during the 71st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). By aligning with CSW71, we aim to raise the profile of our awardees on the global stage, enabling them to secure new partnerships and allowing the international community to learn from their resilience and community impact.

The Religions for Peace International Secretariat will assemble the Selection Committee, comprising distinguished women of faith from across the Religions for Peace movement. The Committee will review the pool of nominees and make the final decisions. The program will honour a grand prize winner along with a first and second runner-up.

• Impact Grants: Recipients will receive a cash prize specifically intended to scale their grassroots initiatives and deepen their engagement with Interreligious Councils (IRCs).
• Global Media Campaign: Beyond the ceremony, all 19 nominees will be featured in a global campaign to amplify their stories and advocate for gender equality in religious spaces.

This award is more than a one-time recognition; it is a catalyst for institutional growth. Awardees will serve as strategic trainers and mentors, sharing best practices and documented methodologies across our global movement. By collating these diverse initiatives, Religions for Peace is building a permanent archive of the rich, multi-religious contributions women make to our shared sacred flourishing.

The 2025 recipients of the Women of Excellence in Multi-Religious Action Award, pictured in order below, are: Madame Cissé Hadja Mariama Sow of Guinea; Grandmother Marie-Josée Tardif of Canada; and Ms. Nageeba Hassan Tegulwa of Uganda.

In 2024, the first Religions for Peace Women of Excellence in Multi-Religious Action Award honored five women of faith whose work has had a profound impact at the national and global levels (two of the five received certificates rather than a formal award).