The Australian Women’s Weekly, in partnership with principal partner AGL Energy, has announced the 2018 winners for the sixth annual Women of the Future awards.

The awards recognise exceptional women aged 18 to 34 who have created a great business venture, charity or innovation. With more than 100 entrants, the Women’s Weekly team whittled it down to nine outstanding finalists with the winner of each category decided by an illustrious judging panel of Australian women.

This year’s judging panel included Deputy Leader of the Opposition Tanya Plibersek, Ita Buttrose (this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner at B&T’s Women in Media Awards, presented by Bauer Media), The Weekly Editor-in-Chief Nicole Byers, AGL Energy GM Lisa Harrington, OzHarest CEO Ronni Kahn, MP Julie Bishop and Lisa Wilkinson.

The awards patron Dame Quentin Bryce praised the programme, “I think the focus on the contemporary and the modern is showcased so superbly in these awards since they started… what a source of optimism and uplift they give to us all.”

Each winner received over $70,000 in cash and prizes to promote their cause.

The 2018 winners are: 

Sarah Moran, 34 (Collingwood, VIC) – Entrepreneur & Business

CEO of Girl Geek Academy, it’s Sarah Moran’s goal to get one million Australian women into technology by 2025.

Caitlin Figueiredo, 23 (Kaleen, ACT) – Community, Health & Charity

Domestic violence survivor Caitlin Figueiredo founded the social enterprise Jasiri Australia to train women aged 10 to 70 in self-defence.

Ally McLean, 25 (Erskineville, NSW) – Innovation & Technology

Founder of a mentorship programme called The Working Lunch, Ally is establishing female game-creating revolutionaries.

The October issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly will profile all three winners.

Hosted by the ABC’s breakfast host Virginia Trioli and held at the recently refurbished Quay restaurant in Sydney, the event included an address from Julie Bishop, the first since the most recent leadership spill.

Bishop spoke about the workplace culture in government which she claimed would not be accepted in any other workplace. But despite women making up just 22 per cent of Liberals in Federal Parliament and Australia falling from 15th to 50th in the world rankings for female representation in government, Bishop remained optimistic for the future. 

“Things will change. They must. There’s a lot to be done and I’m committed to be helping do it.”