Have you nominated a woman of the year?

I’ve been eyeballing the women in my life this week. No, not that nasty-head-to-toe-evaluate-your-outfit kind of eyeballing — although I am always quick to notice and comment on a hip new cut, a fresh spring pedi, a sweet new sweater or an amazing career move. No, instead, Chatelaine’s Women of the Year 2011 nominations opened this week and it’s really got me wondering about who to nominate.

Is it one of my mom friends, many of whom volunteer their time in classrooms helping read or filing student artwork, hustling for items for silent auctions during their downtime, baking, handing out pizza, tirelessly set up events in hopes to raise some money for their children’s school? Or is it my best friend, who in grieving  the death of her father helped lead an annual fundraising initiative in his memory, raising more than $65,000 in the last three years for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation’s GI Cancer Research Unit? Or is it a woman like Barb Stegemann, who I happened to catch on a moving episode of Dragon’s Den — I was inspired by her passion and her entrepreneurial spirit in launching The 7 Virtues fragrance line, for which she sources essential oils from war-torn countries, like orange blossoms or rose oil from Afghanistan? (Those who watched Stegemann’s segment know that while her entrepreneurial spirit is strong, so is her motivation to empower the people of these countries.)

Thankfully I’m not limited to one single nomination — you can nominate as many women as you’d like. And I’m also happy to see there are multiple categories to consider in my nominating someone: Everyday Heroes (volunteers who enrich their communities); Ms. Chatelaine (trendsetting women of style and substance); Influencers (interesting and inspiring women of this year); Hot 20 under 30 (upcoming leaders in their fields); Top Entrepreneurs (strong women entrepreneurs); and Mavericks (trailblazers pushing boundries socially and politically).

So as I’m looking over the women in my life, it makes me smile that at least I have so much choice — so many women to nominate and thankfully, no limits on nominations.Want to nominate someone in your life? Click here to find out about Chatelaine’s Women of the Year here.

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