• Ana María Jauregui, Estefanía Ferrer, the Breast Cancer Survivor Sevilla Association (Las Dragonas), and Mercedes Naranjo were also recognised for their leadership at the 2nd edition of these awards.

The Town Council of Tomares and Combo Comunicación have held the award ceremony for the second edition of the Premios al Emprendimiento y Liderazgo Femenino de la provincia de Sevilla at the Tomás de Ybarra Cultural Centre. The event brought together more than one hundred attendees, including public authorities, partner organisations, nominees and award winners committed to equality, entrepreneurship and female leadership.

These awards aim to recognise and showcase the talent of women with leadership potential across different professional fields and within Seville society, while also promoting female role models who contribute to building a more equal society.

The event opened with a welcome address by María José Muñoz Borrego, Manager of the Department of History of Education and Social Pedagogy at the University of Seville, followed by the official opening by the Mayor of Tomares, José María Soriano; the Territorial Delegate for Social Inclusion, Youth, Families and Equality, María Luisa Cava; and María José Segura Escobar, CEO of Combo Comunicación and President of the Foro de Mujeres Líderes de Andalucía.

During the opening session, José María Soriano emphasised that these awards are “much more than a prize-giving ceremony”, as they help to highlight female role models who inspire others, break new ground and demonstrate that talent knows no gender, despite the barriers that still remain. Soriano also stressed that Tomares firmly believes in equal opportunities as a driver of progress, convinced that a fairer society is also more innovative, competitive and resilient. In this regard, the Mayor praised “the female entrepreneurship and leadership of the award winners, who embody perseverance, creativity, professional excellence, social commitment and the ability to turn challenges into opportunities, serving as an inspiration to many other women and girls”.

For her part, María José Segura Escobar, CEO of Combo Comunicación and President of the Foro de Mujeres Líderes de Andalucía, thanked Tomares Town Council, the Andalusian Women’s Institute, the University of Seville, Pablo de Olavide University, Macrosad, Mini San Pablo Motor, Costco, Andalucía Emprende and AJE Seville for their support. “Through these awards, we seek to highlight the talent, effort and achievements of women who are already role models in their respective fields, so that their example can inspire others and help us continue advancing towards a more equal society,” said Segura, noting that the initiative forms part of the well-established Andalusian network Unimos Talento.

María Luisa Cava stated that “we must all do our part and contribute to building a society with greater progress and wellbeing, where everyone can develop their talent and leadership under equal conditions”. The Territorial Delegate for Social Inclusion, Youth, Families and Equality in the Province of Seville highlighted the importance of making female role models more visible and creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and collaboration. She concluded by stating that “talent and strength are not determined by gender, as demonstrated by the women we honour today, whose achievements inspire others and show that anything is possible”.

AWARD WINNERS

In this second edition, the judging panel recognised five women and organisations in the categories of Professional Career, Innovative Project, Science and Technology, Sport and Culture.

• The Women in Science and Technology Award was presented to researcher Emma Motrico Martínez, a researcher at IBiS and Associate Professor at the University of Seville, in recognition of her work in perinatal mental health and the development of innovative digital solutions for healthcare.

• The Women’s Professional Career Award was presented to Ana María Jauregui Ramírez, Director of the Royal Alcázar of Seville, for a career distinguished by technical excellence, public service and institutional leadership.

• The Women’s Innovative Project Award went to Estefanía Ferrer Puertas, CEO and founder of LICO Cosmetics, for a business project that combines science, innovation, sustainability and the creation of highly skilled employment opportunities in Seville.

• The Women in Sport Award recognised the Breast Cancer Survivor Seville Association (Las Dragonas) for transforming sport into a tool for recovery, mutual support and empowerment for women who have survived breast cancer.

• The Women in Culture Award honoured Mercedes Naranjo Márquez for her work in cultural promotion and management, as well as her commitment to increasing the visibility of women in the arts.

Experiences Promoting Equality

The roundtable discussion entitled “Managing Female Talent and Business Experiences in Support of Equality”, moderated by Carmen Beamonte, News Director at Canal Sur Radio, featured Judit Matías Osca, Marketing and Membership Manager at Costco Spain; Hada Sánchez Gonzales, Professor of Journalism at the University of Seville; Luz García Novoa, Regional Director of Macrosad (Seville, Cádiz and Huelva); Carmen Vega “La Potato”, social media communicator and Director of English Connection O’Donnell Seville; and Candela Luque Carrasco, Vice-President of AJE Andalucía. Patricia Sánchez, winner of the 2025 Innovative Project Award, also shared her experience with attendees.

The event was closed by Susana Espinosa Perea, Lieutenant Colonel and Head of the Southern Air Sector of the Guardia Civil in Andalusia and winner of the 2025 Andalusia Regional Career Achievement Award. She brought the second edition to a close with words of appreciation and recognition for the talent, dedication and leadership of the award winners, underlining the importance of continuing to promote female role models who contribute to advancing equality.