29/11/2024 Prizes
Launched in May 2023 in partnership with the Government of Iceland, the 60,000-euro annual prize – named after the first woman in the world to be elected as a head of state, Iceland’s Vigdís Finnbogadóttir – rewards outstanding individuals or civil society groups that champion the empowerment of women in all their diversity. Its broad remit recognises achievements in gender equality, equal participation in decision-making, and actions that encourage inclusive policies and practices.
Issuing the call for candidates during a meeting of PACE’s Standing Committee in Luxembourg, PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos invited parliamentarians from across Europe to encourage nominations from their countries.
The prize, which will be awarded on 23 June 2025 in Strasbourg at a ceremony in the debating chamber of the Palais de l’Europe, consists of a sum of 60,000 euros, to finance action to promote women’s empowerment, carried out or supported by the prize-winner, along with a diploma.
The first edition of the Vigdís Prize was awarded in 2024 to the Irida Women’s Center in Greece, a grassroots NGO which works for positive change in the lives of women experiencing poverty, social exclusion and gender-based violence.