It has been a tumultuous year for gender politics across the world, and programs that nurture the next generation of female talent have never been more important. We at The Times and The Sunday Times are delighted to continue to support the Rising Star Awards to recognise the tremendous work being done by the next generation of leaders across British industry.

Supporting the growth of female entrepreneurs not only drives diversity within UK businesses but it also creates an environment for future entrepreneurial heroines to flourish and succeed, empowering future generations to succeed in business. I’m extremely proud that Virgin Media Business are sponsoring a fantastic category which will inspire our future leaders.

I am proud to support the Rising Stars Awards which are a great way to celebrate the pipeline of fantastic female talent who are smashing the glass ceiling. These awards shine a light on rising stars from all walks of life who are significantly contributing to their organisations and inspiring the next generation.

We have made fantastic progress in recent years – we now have the lowest gender pay gap on record, more than doubled the number of women on boards in the FTSE 350 and we’ve been rated the best place in Europe for women to start a business. But we have to push further to achieve true gender equality, and celebrating the achievements of women through these awards take us one step closer to this.

‘I believe we’re on the verge of a big breakthrough in the long journey towards true gender equality. The big changes we are seeing throughout our world are unsettling but they also bring the opportunity of a more balanced, more equal society, by shaking up the centuries-old patriarchal power system and changing the nature of leadership. The ability to inspire rather than force is what’s important now. This is good news for many women, who are empathetic by nature and good at connecting. Now more than ever it’s important to celebrate and encourage those women who are Rising Stars, and I am delighted to congratulate them and look forward to their next achievements!’

The Women’s Equality Party is delighted to partner the Rising Star Awards, which recognise excellence and innovation from women in business and across working life. Equality of opportunity for working women is one of our party’s core objectives, so WE are pleased to see so many wonderful nominees working towards this goal. We’re delighted, too, that these awards showcase the talents of outstanding role models in many other areas of public and private life.