More than 1,500 nominations were made to 2026 Women Changing the World Global Awards and Bundjalung woman Jenni Walke was honoured in the First Nations leadership category, awarded in Paris this week.

Ms Walke is founder and managing director of Elephant in the Room Consulting, a wholly Indigenous-owned and led group extending their services across the world.

The awards recognise women from all corners of the globe across dozens of categories from tech and thought leaders, to businesses, health and wellness, coaches, social impact and volunteers.

Elephant in the Room said the acknowledgement is a "significant moment for Australian Indigenous leadership on the global stage".

Ms Walke won the leadership category, recognising First Nations Women that are 'changing the world'.

"This recognition isn't about individual success. It affirms that Indigenous leadership is not just local knowledge, it is global wisdom with relevance in leadership conversations worldwide," Ms Walke said.

Elephant in the Room works with organisations at home and internationally to support leadership, strategy and transformation with cultural intelligence.

Their motto: Wisdom from Country, Strategy for Business.

Ms Walke outlines the goal to show gender, ethnicity, or background can't be limitation on opportunity, empowering an inclusive and equitable society.

In all, over 1,500 nominations from 97 countries were made to the broader Women Changing the World Awards.

"As an Indigenous leader, being in global spaces like these matters deeply," Ms Walke said. "Indigenous leadership brings a lens of long-term thinking, responsibility to Community and care for future generations, exactly what global leadership conversations need now more than ever."

Finalists in the First Nations category came from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Turtle Island (North America), Chile and Europe and Australia.

Yuin woman Ashleigh McGuire from Ripementoring received third place.

Ripementoring recently won the 2026 Quality Business Award as Nowra's, on the NSW South Coast, best tutoring service.