Rolex Awards shine light on environmental women warriors
Fifty years ago, in 1976, the Rolex Awards for Enterprise was set up by André J. Heiniger, then CEO of Rolex, to recognise the people “with the most original and imaginative projects related to exploration, applied science, innovation or the environment.”
The Awards were founded on the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Oyster, the world’s first waterproof wrist watch.
Now, five decades on — as the watchmaker celebrates the 100th anniversary of its industry-defining timepiece — the programme has been renamed the Rolex Awards, and is now annual, instead of biannual, with the aim of increasing its impact.
Since 1976, the Awards have led to more than 50 million trees planted worldwide; 137 endangered species and 32 ecosystems protected; hundreds of new species discovered; and 50 new technologies developed.
This year, the five recipients of the Rolex Awards are all women, hailing from across the planet, and joined together by a spirit of resourcefulness, endeavour, and care for the environment.
Although their projects span everything from pandas to bees to viruses, they often share a community-led approach, lifting and enabling local people to conserve the nature that is on their doorstep.
As award winners, the women will get help, guidance, and access to Rolex’s extensive network of experts in its Perpetual Planet Initiative to help achieve their goals.
Meet the 2026 Rolex Award winners:
Binbin Li
Environmental scientist Binbin Li is working to protect the 2,000 giant pandas left in the wild in China, by working with local communities to find sustainable solutions to livestock grazing – which compete with the pandas for food and space in the bamboo forests.
Farwiza Farhan
Conservationist Farwiza Farhan is helping to preserve the Leuser Ecosystem of Sumatra, Indonesia – the last place on earth where elephants, tigers, orangutans and rhinoceros still coexist. She has led campaigns and activated local communities to prevent the destruction of this fragile environment, bringing women’s voices to the fore.
Pardis Sabeti
Medical geneticist Pardis Sabeti is applying pioneering technologies to the detection and containment of infectious diseases in West Africa, with the hope of preventing their spread before it begins.
Rachel Ikemeh
Conservationist Rachel Ikemeh brought the Niger Delta red colobus monkey back from the brink of extinction with her community activism. Her approach has allowed her to protect over 5,839 hectares of forest and at least 13 threatened species in the Delta, while improving the livelihoods of 2,500 local people.
Rosa Vásquez Espinoza
Chemical biologist Rosa Vásquez Espinoza was the first to scientifically link deforestation in the Amazon with the decline of stingless bees – a critical pollinator for both nature and agriculture. Her research significantly contributed to a landmark case in Peru, which resulted in the legal protection of stingless bees.
