Innovative programme supporting women working in health and safety wins prestigious leadership award
The Women in Safety Leadership programme has triumphed in the Most Innovative Institute Approved Programme category of The Institute of Leadership Awards 2025.
Developed by L'Oreal, and delivered in partnership with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), Nike, Inc. and Leaderlike Ltd, the Women in Safety Leadership (WiSL) programme empowers women to take leadership roles in health and safety, promotes diversity and inclusion through addressing the longstanding gender imbalance in an OSH workforce where only 30 per cent of professionals are women, and ultimately makes workplaces and wider society safer.
Based around three core themes – Leadership by Design, Leadership in Action and Leadership as a Strategy – the training element was updated by Leaderlike Ltd and L’Oréal in 2023 and is delivered by global safety leadership specialist and Leaderlike Ltd founder Karen J Hewitt.
WiSL provides a safe, collaborative space where women from diverse industries can explore their leadership potential and develop their ability to influence across organisations.
Following the initial training session, participants are matched with a mentor to support their continued leadership journey. Participants also become part of the WiSL Alumni Network, enabling them to share advice, develop new skills and work together to inspire the next generation of female health and safety leaders.
Over 100 women have progressed through WiSL since the programme’s launch in 2023, with participants drawn from over 20 countries and a wide range of sectors including construction, utilities and shipping. The Leadership Award crowns a particularly successful year for WiSL which, alongside attracting more applications than ever before, also appointed RoSPA Vice-President and consumer safety champion Baroness Crawley of Edgbaston as figurehead.
Speaking about the award, Baroness Crawley said:
"This prestigious award represents well-deserved recognition for everyone at L’Oréal, RoSPA, Nike, Inc. and Leaderlike Limited, who have all come together to share their passion and expertise to empower women to lead in health and safety – at work, at home, and beyond. Most importantly, it is a testament to the dedication and energy of all of the inspiring women who have participated in the Women in Safety Leadership, and their commitment to developing skills not just for the benefit of their own careers, but to ensure others can work and live their lives free from the risk of accidental harm.’