Light for the World is the founder of the award but to ensure independence we won’t be on the jury and won’t have influence over the winners. 

The independent award jury decide on one winner in each of the three categories.

This jury is made up of strong women role models with and without disabilities, representing different industries and areas of life.

There are three categories:

1. Health & Education
   Women with disabilities from the health or education sector, including but not limited to: teachers, teaching assistants, headmasters, university professors, doctors, surgeons, nurses, community health workers, etc.
2. Rights
   Women with disabilities from the advocacy and rights sector, who advocate for the rights of people with disabilities and their inclusion. They could be working for an NGO or charity, a business, within a governmental organization, or simply in their local communities to achieve vital change.
3. Arts, Culture & Sports
   Women with disabilities from the arts, culture and sports sectors, including but not limited to: artists, actors, comedians, poets, Paralympians, runners, singers, swimmers, writers, etc.

Women with disabilities (from the age of 18) can be nominated. 

They must fit into one of the three categories mentioned above.

• Jury members and their family members
• Light for the World staff and Board members
• Anyone who does not identify as a woman with a disability

Please use the nomination form provided on this website.
In case you find the online form difficult to use, you can also download it, fill it in, and email it to her-abilities@light-for-the-world.org
By 14 November all nominating people will receive an email to find out if their nominee has won one of the three categories. The winners will also be contacted.

The jury will consider the following primary criteria in judging the winner:

• Impact: 
  To what extent this person has achieved excellence in their life and field of work
• Recognition:
  If this person has an untold or underreported story which particularly deserves to be told 
• Relevance:
  If this person’s story has a relevance to current rights and social debates, which could inspire others into action

In addition the jury may, as a secondary consideration, look at the balance between the three category winners in any given year (including e.g. geographical spread, diversity in personal profiles, and types of achievement).

The benefits for the winners are:

• They will join a celebrated network of other successful women (i.e. the Jury) who commit to finding opportunities to support each other in their further pursuit of justice, equality and excellence.
• Light for the World will open their networks and will try to ensure speaking opportunities for the winners (i.e. at international conferences like the High-Level-Political-Forum in New York).
• Light for the World’s impactful communications team will do media and online work about the winners. 
• This all will ensure that they and their projects are getting more of the public attention they deserve. 
• They will receive a certificate and a physical award. 

Her Abilities is a purely honorary award and there won’t be a monetary prize.