The 2017 Monte-Carlo “Woman of the Year” Award has its winners for this year's theme: “Women for Women”. They are Aïcha Chenna (Morocco), Sister Anne-Marie (for Monaco), Special Award to Michele Mitchell (USA).

 

Some of the most representative women of Monaco were present at this evening, such as the Counsellor/Minister of Town Planning and the Environment, the only woman in the Prince's government, Marie-Pierre Gramaglia, Anne Eastwood, High Commissioner for the Protection of Rights, Liberties and Mediation, Nathalie Amoratti Blanc, President of the National Council's Women's Commission, Marine de Carné - Trecesson, French Ambassador to Monaco and the President and representative of various women's associations in Monaco. All came together to recognize extraordinary women with a common characteristic: solidarity and help towards other women.

 

Aïcha Chenna is the winner of the Monte-Carlo Woman of the Year International Award for having defended women's rights. Since 1985, she has been saving young single mothers rejected by families and by society, and created places of safety and homes for them and their babies, to train them and help them find work and independence.

 

Sister Anne-Marie Salomon is the Woman of the Year for Monaco. She collaborates with MAP, Monaco Aide et Presence. She became a nun at 21 years old, a professor of mathematics and chemistry, and then at 45 she decided to study medicine to finally choose to move to Mali to treat Tuareg women. Sister Anne-Marie's work and her desire to help others will lead her to care for all those in need. Over the years, she opened two hospitals, a dispensary and trained midwives.

 

Michele Mitchell received the Special Award for her documentary film “The Uncondemned", in which she covered the trial for the rapes of women in Rwanda. Michele had the courage to respond without shame to support women affected by violence. Mrs. Mitchell, with her work, fights for social justice for women in countries where being a woman has no value.

 

 

The initiative, created and presented by journalist Cinzia Sgambati-Colman, was launched in 2012 and took place for the sixth time, in the Principality in the Indigo room of the Grimaldi Forum. The event is sponsored by Walgreens Boots Alliance, the largest global pharmaceutical company, focused on global health and wellness.

 

During the evening, the stories of these exceptional women were told, interviewed by Cinzia Sgambati Colman, President of the Award. American Michele Mitchell was interviewed by Valentina Colman, Secretary General of the Award. Additionally, the story of a Walgreens Boots Alliance executive, Kathleen Wilson-Thompson , the group's Executive Vice President and Global Chief Human Resources Officer, was revealed. Ms. Wilson shared how she managed to become a leader in the company she works for and gave valuable advice to young women starting a career.

 

Kim Yeshi, from Tibet, was also interviewed during the evening. She talked about her extraordinary enterprise, carried out with her daughter Dechen. It is an eco-responsible company. Norlha produces precious clothes and scarves using yak wool. Thanks to this initiative, where Kim has invested all her assets, she has given work to nomadic women in Tibet: they started with 30 employees and after 10 years, they now have 130 employees. Kim Yeshi has a dream: to create the spinning department, to increase the number of jobs.

 

At the end of the event, the president of the Monte-Carlo Woman of the Year Award announced the theme for the 2018 edition, which will be “Women and Sports”.

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