This week saw the announcement of the GSMA Annual Global Mobile Awards and for the first time, under the social and economic development category, we see the inclusion of the category – ‘mWomen – Best Product or Service for Women in Emerging Markets’.

The ‘mWomen Award’ aims to find the most innovative product or service in the market place specifically designed to meet the needs of female consumers in emerging markets, particularly women living on less than $2 per day. We wish to stimulate mobile operators, manufactures and the broader mobile ecosystem to create unique solutions that help to close the mobile phone gender gap. The mWomen Award is an opportunity to highlight products and services that speak to a currently underserved segment of the mobile industry, Women.

The Global Mobile Awards 2012 can be entered online and nominations close on Wednesday 30th November 2011. Entries are open to companies across the entire mobile ecosystem and all products, services, initiatives and programmes entered must support, be deployed over or be accessible through mobile networks. For a full list of categories, deadlines, award criteria and online submission process please visit: www.globalmobileawards.com

The judging process will begin in December 2011 and will feature a panel comprised of independent experts, analysts, journalists, academics and, in some cases, mobile operator representatives, with the short list of nominations for each category announced in mid-January 2012.

For further information on the Global Mobile Awards 2012 or if you would like to become a sponsor, please contact the GSMA [email protected].

The GSMA’s Mobile World Congress 2012 will be held 27th February – 1st March 2012 in Barcelona. For further details please visit www.mobileworldcongress.com