The 2016 Monte-Carlo “Woman of the Year” Award  has its winners for this year's theme: “Women and Technology”. It is  Juliana Rotich  (Kenya) e  Adriana Santanocito  (Italy); Special Career Award to Lisa Harrington (England) and Special Award for Innovation to Imen Cherif (France).

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco also made an appearance during the evening to meet the winners. Juliana Rotich was the winner of the Monte-Carlo Woman of the Year Technology Award, for having created open-source software and a modem capable of operating even without power for open-ended or unfortunate territories.  Adriana Santanocito received the Woman of the Year Award for Technology and the Social Environment for finding a way to recycle orange peels in the textile industry, by turning them into fabric.  Lisa Harrington  who received the Special Career Award is a senior executive at British Telecom. She is a leader and innovator in data transfer technology systems, and in 2015 created the Women in Technology (WIM) program. Imen Cherif  received the award for innovation in safety, after designing a ring for women to wear, which can send an alert in the event of danger.

The initiative, created and managed by journalist Cinzia Sgambati-Colman, was launched in 2012 and took place for the fifth time, in the Principality in the splendid Yacht Club of Monaco. The event is sponsored by Walgreens Boots Alliance,  the largest global pharmaceutical company, focused on global health and wellness.

During the gala ceremony, presented by Luisella Berrino, a new application for tablet called Kukua was presented. Conceived by  Lucrezia Bisignani, this program will allow children in sub-Saharan Africa to learn to read and write quickly, while playing, and without the need for books. Luisella Berrino then introduced a new program of the Peace & Sport Association, which was presented by world ski champion Pernilla Wiberg, ambassador of the association. Peace & Sport, which uses sport to promote peace, will bring a special program to refugee camps in Jordan aimed at young women, so that they can practice sports which they are normally forbidden to for religious reasons.

Luisella hosted the presentation of the four winners, who told their stories and how they achieved their inventions. At the end of the evening, Luisella Berrino received a tribute for her incredible radio career, her talent and her generosity. At the end of the event, the President of the Award announced the theme for the 2017 edition, which will be “Women helping Women”.