Give To Gain emphasises the power of reciprocity and support. When people, organisations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it’s intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise.
The business case for women’s leadership is one of the easier to make and ought by now to be understood by even the most misogynist of banking sector leaders. Gender diverse leaderships means lower operating costs, greater returns on equity and lower risk taking. However, women still remain underrepresented in the upper management of companies. This is especially the case in private equity and the venture capital sector.

As recently as the early 1990s, less than 10% of all US banks had more than one woman on the board. Today, over one-half of US banks have three or more women on the board.

In the UK, if the chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves is to be believed, the UK leads the world in drive to increase the number of women on boards and in leadership at the top of firms. 

More than 60% of FTSE350 companies are within striking distance of the 40% target for women’s representation in boardrooms.

The FTSE Women Leaders Review report for 2025, backed by the government and sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group and KPMG, shows that women now occupy 1,275 or 43% of roles on company boards and 6,743 (35%) of leadership roles at the 350 FTSE companies.

There remains an ongoing debate about the use of quotas.

France is one notable country to employ the use of quotas while progress in the UK has been voluntary. Supporters of this approach argue that it demonstrates the ability of the private sector to lead the way, alongside government support, but without overburdening regulation.

As this cross-section of comments from leaders in the financial sector demonstrates, there is more to gender equality than just boardroom representation (comments are in alphabetical order by contributor).

Chatrine Åkerström, Strategic Project Manager, ITRS

To me, ‘Give to Gain’ is about how much better things work when people genuinely support each other. Sharing knowledge, giving someone a chance, pulling people into the conversation, it all adds up. It’s not just good for the individual, it makes the whole team stronger.

The most significant barriers that women still face in tech roles and how these evolved over the past few years

A lot of the barriers women face in tech aren’t always visible on the surface. It often comes down to access and sponsorship. Who gets the chances to step up, who gets heard in the room, who gets backed for leadership roles. And I think women are still more likely to be judged on what they’ve already done, rather than what they could grow into.

The industry can do more to attract and support young women entering careers in fintech and capital markets

A big part of this starts in school. If fewer girls choose technical subjects at school or university, the pipeline is already smaller by the time companies are hiring. At the same time, the industry needs to be honest about what the work actually looks like. Tech and fintech aren’t one narrow path. There are technical roles, product roles, commercial roles, and strategic roles. And you don’t have to fit a stereotype to belong.

Leadership and decision-making roles

Progression usually comes down to trust and responsibility. If you’re given ownership of something important and visible, you build credibility. That matters more than just having a mentor.

It also helps when expectations are clear. If people understand what good looks like and what’s required to move forward, progression feels more fair and less dependent on being in the right place at the right time.

The future for women in technology

I hope it becomes less of a conversation. Not because it stops mattering, but because it’s genuinely normal to see women in technical leadership and decision-making roles.

Ugne Buraciene, Group CEO at payabl.

We never treated DE&I as a separate initiative; it’s simply how we built the company. We are proud to have a 50/50 gender split in our leadership team. This was not driven by quotas. Our approach has been straightforward: hire the most capable person for the role, regardless of background. When standards are clear, and opportunities are fair, balance becomes a natural outcome, not a target.

Kimberley Carriere, Senior Project Manager, Icon Solutions

International Women’s Day has left many women reflecting not only on progress, but also on where the technology and payments industry still needs to improve. When I first started studying programming, only 4 of the 90 students were women, but now I can see a stronger gender balance in parts of the IT industry. But women remain significantly unrepresented, especially at managerial and c-suite level. Many women enter the industry, but too few progress into leadership roles, despite having the technical and regulatory expertise the sector demands.

One of the biggest challenges is that women’s voices are not always heard. Inclusion is not only about representation, but about creating environments where different perspectives are encouraged and valued. Women often bring intuitive, collaborative approaches that strengthen teams and decision-making, yet it can be difficult to speak up, particularly for those who are quieter or earlier in their careers. Supporting confidence, recognising individual strengths, and actively creating space for women to contribute should be everyone’s responsibility.

My international experience has shown that inclusion looks different across cultures, but the common theme is clear: when women are given the opportunity to contribute, businesses benefit from greater diversity of thought. International Women’s Day reinforces this message. For me personally, it reflects values passed down through generations, that women have a voice, experiences to share, and a responsibility to support others. Through initiatives such as speaking in schools and encouraging young girls to consider careers in technology, we can help ensure the next generation feels confident entering industries where they remain underrepresented today.

Tracy Cray, Managing Director, UK and Europe Operations, Chargebacks911 and Fi911

I started my career with no safety net, and that experience shaped how I lead today. What carried me forward was discipline, consistency and a willingness to learn every part of the process from the ground up. After three decades across issuer, acquiring and merchant environments, I have seen how easily the chargeback system can fall out of balance when speed overrides scrutiny. My focus is on restoring fairness through clearer communication, stronger evidence standards and better collaboration across the ecosystem.

What International Women’s Day means today

For me, International Women’s Day is a moment to ask whether the day-to-day experience for women in the workplace is genuinely improving. Recognition is positive, but it needs to be matched with practical change in hiring, progression and support. IWD should prompt honest conversations about what is working and what still needs attention, because progress only sticks when organisations look closely at themselves.

Progress vs reality

We have moved forward in visibility and awareness, but the reality on the ground is still uneven. Many women are progressing, yet barriers remain around senior leadership access, pay consistency and long-term career confidence. What gives me optimism is that these conversations are now happening more openly. The next step is sustained follow-through. Real equality comes from consistent action over time.

Women in leadership

Women bring valuable perspective into leadership, particularly in areas that require balanced judgement and strong people awareness. In payments and financial services, those qualities matter every day. The focus now should be on ensuring women are not only present in leadership pipelines but supported into roles where they can make meaningful decisions. Confidence grows when capability is recognised early and developed properly, so organisations need to be intentional about backing talent.

Gender pay gap

Closing the gender pay gap requires steady, practical work – organisations need clear salary frameworks, transparent progression criteria and regular reviews that identify where differences are emerging. In my experience, consistency is key. When expectations and reward structures are clearly defined, disparities become easier to spot and correct. Economic equality improves when businesses treat pay equity as an ongoing discipline.

Grassroots impact

Grassroots networks often provide the confidence and practical guidance that formal structures miss. Early in a career, having someone explain how the workplace really operates can make a significant difference. Community-led mentoring, peer support and informal knowledge sharing all help women navigate challenges that are not always written into policy documents. Organisations should recognise the value of these networks because they frequently develop future leaders from the ground up.

Year-round support

Year-round support comes down to consistency and visibility. Organisations should provide clear development pathways, fair access to stretch opportunities and managers who actively sponsor emerging talent. It also helps to track outcomes over time, not just attendance at programmes. When women can see genuine progression taking place within a business, confidence builds naturally. International Women’s Day is a useful milestone, but sustained everyday actions create lasting change.

Tamsin Crossland, Principal AI Architect, Icon Solutions

Women continue to be underrepresented within the payments and technology industries, often shaped by early perceptions that computing is ‘a boy’s hobby’. Real change must start earlier, through inclusive initiatives and education that encourage more girls to pursue careers in technology. Graduate recruitment can still be gender-stereotypical, and this must evolve. Initiatives targeting 50% female graduate intake would help create a more balanced and representative industry.

Within technology, women bring valuable perspectives, particularly in AI training and deployment. Emotional intelligence and empathy, often described as ‘soft skills’, are increasingly critical as AI systems influence real-world decisions. Without gender diversity in AI development, there is a risk of reinforcing existing bias. Diverse teams, guided by ethical thinking and broader perspectives, are better positioned to build responsible AI. Women are already leading important conversations within AI ethics forums. So, the next step is turning those discussions into meaningful industry-wide action.

Spandana Durbha, Cyber Security Manager, Judopay

International Women’s Day can sometimes feel like a pause in the calendar – a moment to post, reflect and move on. But in industries like payments and cyber security, where change is constant and risk is real, it’s worth using the moment to ask a practical question: are we building teams that are genuinely prepared for what is ahead?

Resilience sits at the heart of both payments and cyber. We operate in complex, fast moving environments where trust is critical and the threat landscape doesn’t stand still. Technology is essential, but perspective is just as important. Anticipating risk, challenging assumptions and adapting quickly all depend on having different voices and experiences around the table.

Diversity in these industries isn’t about optics. It is about performance. But representation alone doesn’t create resilience. We have to build cultures where people feel confident contributing, challenging and leading. That means investing in mentorship, increasing visibility, and creating clear pathways into payments and cyber.

IWD shouldn’t just celebrate who is here, it should prompt us to consider how we make it easier for more talent to step forward and thrive. When inclusion is embedded into how we operate, not treated as a message or a moment, we strengthen not only our culture but the resilience of our industry as a whole.

I am passionate about making sure our industry continues to evolve in a way that reflects the world it serves and is not limited by legacy expectations. If we want to stay resilient, we have to stay intentional about who we develop, who we promote and who we listen to.

Monica Eaton, Founder and CEO, Chargebacks911 and Fi911

I built Chargebacks911 because I refused to accept that disputes were just a cost of doing business. When my own ecommerce company was hit with rising chargebacks, I went looking for answers and found very few practical solutions for merchants. So, I built one. The biggest lesson from that journey is this: real progress starts when someone is willing to question what everyone else accepts. Payments still needs more leaders, especially women, who are prepared to challenge outdated assumptions and rebuild broken processes.

What International Women’s Day means today

International Women’s Day should be less about applause and more about accountability. Celebration is welcome, but progress only happens when organisations examine who holds real decision-making power and who does not. For me, IWD is a checkpoint. Are we funding female founders? Are we promoting women into operational leadership roles? Recognition matters, but measurable change matters more. The work is not finished, and we should be honest about that.

Progress vs reality 

We have made visible progress, but the lived reality for many women still falls short of the headlines. Representation has improved in some sectors, yet access to capital, senior roles and technical pathways remains uneven. What encourages me is the growing willingness to question those gaps openly. The next phase is about precision – we need clearer pathways into leadership and stronger accountability so progress becomes consistent rather than concentrated.

Women in leadership

Women belong in the rooms where financial and technical decisions are made, not just in supporting roles around them. Diverse leadership teams ask better questions and tend to spot risk earlier, which matters enormously in payments. The priority now is not simply inviting women into leadership pipelines but making sure those pipelines lead to real authority. Visibility helps, but influence is what ultimately changes outcomes for businesses and customers.

Gender pay gap 

The gender pay gap is ultimately a visibility and accountability issue. Most organisations already have enough data to understand where disparities exist. The real question is whether they are prepared to act on it consistently. Economic equality improves when compensation structures are transparent, promotion criteria are clear and performance is measured fairly. Progress will come from sustained attention to these fundamentals.

Grassroots impact

Some of the most meaningful progress for women starts at the grassroots level, where mentorship and sponsorship actually take shape. Large policy shifts matter, but early-career confidence often grows through smaller networks that provide practical guidance and honest feedback. I have seen how targeted mentoring can change someone’s trajectory. Organisations should pay closer attention to these community-driven efforts because they often surface future leaders early.

Year-round support 

Supporting women year-round requires structure. Organisations should focus on transparent promotion paths, equitable access to high-visibility projects and mentorship that connects emerging talent with decision-makers. It also means tracking outcomes – if development programmes are working, you should see movement into leadership roles over time. International Women’s Day is a useful reminder, but consistent follow-through is what actually moves the needle.

Hannah Fitzsimons, CEO, Cashflows

IDW-measurable action and empowerment is needed

International Women’s Day serves as an opportunity to celebrate the progress women have made in fintech while acknowledging the work that still lies ahead to ensure women don’t just enter this industry but help to lead it.

True empowerment comes from moving beyond simply opening doors, we must foster the genuine confidence and support systems women need to be able to walk through them and succeed.

That isn’t a ‘one day a year’ sentiment but something that should be baked into company culture at all times. By taking simple steps in the workplace like implementing mentorship programs, leadership development and flexible working policies, we can make changes that chip away at the barriers that have historically slowed female advancement in fintech.

Through initiatives like Cashflows’ internal forums, we create a culture where women can openly share their challenges and lessons learned, building a powerful network of mutual support. When we create an environment where women are encouraged to challenge limits, speak their mind, and share their experiences, the entire industry benefits from a broader range of innovation and insight. Together, we are building a fintech sector where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Ellie Heath, Chief People Officer, Mambu

This International Women’s Day, the theme “Give to Gain” is a powerful reminder that sustainable growth starts with people. In fintech, we move fast – but speed and scale alone don’t build enduring businesses. Investment in talent does.

Throughout my career, I’ve seen that giving isn’t a compromise. When leaders give time, trust and real opportunity, performance naturally follows. Whether it’s backing someone for a stretch role or challenging whether our systems really support equality, those moments compound. At each end of this spectrum, I have felt personal impact: I was encouraged into HR from an environment which threatened vs supported equality; and I now find myself as CHRO because of the opportunity, backing – and allyship, actually – that I received from a leader.

We also need to be more honest about how women experience work day-to-day. I want to see more fintechs pride themselves on being people-first and recognise that more substantial investment in their women can unlock greater innovation, collaboration, and resilience. I want to see the end of women having to fight to earn their equal place at the table; to have to be louder to be heard; to have to work harder to be seen.

Give to Gain is ultimately a call to action for leaders. It asks us to look beyond short-term outcomes and consider the culture and legacy we’re building. When we invest more intentionally, the impact is measurable and lasting.

Ren Yi Hooi, CEO and founder, Lightning Reach

This year’s Give to Gain theme is about supporting and uplifting women to power greater gender equality. Day to day, this means championing the women in my team at Lightning Reach – reflected in the fact our C suite team is female led. 

Beyond our team, I’m also laser-focused on delivering solutions that help women across the UK. Sadly, financial insecurity in the UK has a distinctly gendered dimension. In many households, responsibility for managing finances and paying bills often falls to women, at a time when the cost of living remains high. We see this reflected in our own data: 59% of people registered on Lightning Reach are women. This highlights both the disproportionate financial pressure women face and the fact that they are often the ones actively seeking solutions for themselves and their families.

Supporting women goes far deeper than income. Too often, they face fragmented systems, admin-heavy applications, and long waits for decisions when applying for financial support. Many also assume support is only available in severe crisis, or that they do not qualify. By creating systems that enable fast and transparent access to financial assistance in times of need, we are supporting local governments, charities and utilities to remove barriers to help and reduce financial anxiety for women across the UK.

Belinda Inocco, Head of Investor Relations, ASK Private Client

Women are increasingly aware of the financial impact of career breaks and major life events, and they’re taking proactive steps to grow and protect their wealth. We’re seeing more women build significant independent assets, and they want investment options that fit around busy lives – clear fixed terms, online access, and the ability to choose risk levels without constantly monitoring the market. Real estate debt is ideal because it offers security without the stress of direct ownership, and our structured support makes investing achievable.

We’re thrilled by the rising engagement from women. It reflects both growing awareness of the gender investment gap and the value of our approach: accessible, flexible, and backed by rigorous due diligence and a strong track record.

Denise Johansson, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Enfuce 

On paper, fraud looks equal. In the real world, it is not. 

Men and women face fraud at almost identical rates. But the impact is different. Women are more likely to carry the cost, financially and emotionally.

This is where the equality conversation gets uncomfortable. Equal risk does not mean equal impact.

Our research shows that two in five women who experience fraud have to cut back on essential spending or struggle to meet basic financial commitments. Nearly half report anxiety and stress. Almost a third say the experience left them feeling less safe. And it does not stop at the lost money. Fraud makes women change how they spend, save and invest afterwards.

International Women’s Day is a moment to talk about equality. And in financial services, that conversation cannot stop at access. Equality depends on security and trust. If fraud leaves women feeling less confident about participating in the financial system, then we are not closing gaps. We are reinforcing them.

With more than half of women believing financial institutions should do more to prevent fraud, the message could not be clearer: if we are serious about gender equality, we must stop treating fraud prevention as a compliance exercise and recognise it as a foundation of financial inclusion and long-term equality.

Sarah Barslund Lauridsen, Chief Product Officer, Nexi Group

International Women’s Day is an important moment to stop and reflect on progress, not just intentions. Over the course of my career, the most meaningful shift I’ve seen is moving away from trying to ‘fix’ women and toward addressing systemic barriers that limit who gets seen, trusted and promoted.

Gender balance remains a glaring issue; women represent half the population but not half of leadership. That said, diversity must go beyond gender alone. Organisations perform better when they bring multiple voices, backgrounds and ways of thinking into the room, and leadership teams should be built with that in mind.

Real change happens fastest when it starts at the top. Measures such as leadership accountability and board-level representation aren’t about giving women an unfair advantage; they help counterbalance unconscious bias that has existed for decades. When diversity is embedded into culture, targets and ways of working, it doesn’t disappear with shifting political or economic narratives, it becomes an extricable part of how an organisation succeeds.

Ana Luisa Monteiro, CFO and Partner, Cumbuca, and former leader at XP Inc

Career progression and risk-taking

Throughout my career, I’ve mentored women at the beginning of their professional journeys, especially in high-performance environments like finance and tech. Much of the work isn’t technical – it’s about positioning, visibility, negotiation and risk-taking. I consistently see highly qualified women self-select out of opportunities because they feel they need to be 100% ready before stepping up.

Confidence, promotion and negotiation

This is something I always reiterate to other women – to take more risks, fight for promotions and salary increases, not be scared to apply for jobs that feel above what they think they can deliver, and to negotiate salaries. Women often have a ‘I’ll get a promotion when I earn it’ mentality, while others apply even when they don’t match all the prerequisites.

Bias and leadership perception

The industry is still heavily male-dominated, and I’m often the only woman in the room. We still see double standards in performance assessments – when men are direct, they’re seen as decisive, but when women are equally direct, they’re sometimes perceived as difficult. That perception gap can materially impact leadership dynamics.

Structural change and maternity policies

It’s crucial to create a culture that allows women to move up the ladder so they can pull more women up. This also touches on maternity issues, as we often see a drop in women in senior positions because they pause their careers and, when they return, there is no longer space for them in the company, so they have to fight to regain it. This often impacts promotions and raises. That’s why one of the most impactful changes we made with  MLHR3 was ensuring women on maternity leave continued to receive variable compensation. Because a significant portion of pay was performance-based, maternity leave effectively reduced annual earnings. Fixing that was a structural correction, not a symbolic gesture.

Diversity and business performance

At Cumbuca, we see diversity as something needed to increase performance because people with different backgrounds bring different perspectives, creative discussions and new solutions. For me, diversity is directly linked to performance, retention and long-term value creation – it’s not a parallel agenda.

Sirin Sevinc, Head of IPF Solution Architecture, Icon Solutions

Across engineering, architecture, and fintech, women remain noticeably underrepresented, particularly in specialist and decision-making roles. When I first moved from engineering into architecture, it was clear how few women were in the room. While the landscape is becoming more diverse, progress is very slow. Too often, women are held back by preconceived notions, subtle prejudices, or cultural expectations that have been ingrained over many years. These influences often weigh on women and promote the notion that women are only suited for certain career paths. My experience has taught me to ignore the noise, trust in my capabilities, and enjoy the work. We are all human, and talent has no gender label.

Working in solution architecture has been both fun and deeply rewarding, but not without challenges. As with other women within the financial and technology sector, throughout my career, I’ve experienced both gender stereotyping and toxic masculinity, where I’ve often found my voice has been overshadowed by bigger egos. These experiences underscore the need for a genuine cultural shift within the finance and technology industry, one that values diverse perspectives and adopts an environment where everyone can contribute equally. Research has shown that diverse teams make better decisions, challenge assumptions, and build smarter solutions, and International Women’s Day helps keep that message front and centre, reminding us all there is still more work to be done.

Ulrike Schäffter, Chief Product Officer, RS2

We are seeing fintech innovation become far more data-driven and platform-centric, which is helping remove long-standing structural barriers in how financial services are accessed and managed. A key development is the integration of real-time transaction data and advanced analytics directly into core processing environments. By embedding alternative data models and more dynamic risk engines into the payments and issuing stack, financial institutions can move beyond rigid legacy credit frameworks and enable fairer, more accurate assessments of financial reality – particularly for people with variable income patterns, entrepreneurial paths, or career breaks where traditional models have historically fallen short.

Another major shift is the evolution of mobile-first, API-enabled banking infrastructure. Modern processing platforms now enable seamless digital onboarding, embedded KYC, instant issuing and integrated acquiring capabilities within a single architecture. This simplifies access at every stage of the financial journey, from account opening to working capital, and ensures services are available on equal terms within the digital ecosystems where people already live and work.

We are also seeing greater emphasis on embedding financial intelligence directly into the product experience. When analytics, cash-flow visibility, spending insights and forecasting tools are native to the platform – rather than bolted on – they deliver transparent, real-time access to financial insight. This supports greater autonomy, confidence, and long-term financial security, enabling informed decision-making regardless of career structure or income predictability.

Looking ahead, the most impactful providers will be those that design equality into their product architecture from day one – designing flexible, configurable platforms that remove complexity across issuing, acquiring and account management, while ensuring equal access to financial opportunity at scale.

Ryta Zasiekina, founder, CONCRYT

Gender disparity in the technology industry remains clear and undisputable, especially for women looking to build their careers. Recent research shows that nearly 80% of women have considered leaving the tech sector due to a lack of recognition and career growth. This is reflected in fintech, where women hold only around 10% of all board seats and represent less than 20% of company executives.

For women working in fintech and payments, the power of reciprocity and support should not be undervalued. While gender should not determine one’s opportunities, the reality is that challenges related to resources, recognition and advancement are often compounded for women in our industry by systemic biases and historical inequalities.

In an ideal world, every person working in fintech and payments would be treated based on their professionalism, skills and contributions, not their gender. A professional, capable woman should be able to thrive without having to fight extra battles for equal footing. However, structural changes and cultural shifts are still necessary for to remove these persistent barriers.

For women navigating the workplace, self-advocacy is essential. Too often, women accept salaries below market value or hesitate to negotiate for what they deserve. Being informed, networking within the industry and confidently negotiating compensation are all important steps toward financial and professional equity. If you feel undervalued, address it, just as any professional should.

Importantly, progress requires both individual action and systemic reform. It is critical for fintech and payments companies to foster an environment where fair pay and opportunities are standard, rather than leaving the burden of change solely on individuals. They must actively dismantle barriers and create truly inclusive workplaces where talent and effort determine success.

Real change happens when both individuals and institutions commit to it. A system that naturally “self-balances” will only do so when the right structures are in place to support true equality. By fostering a culture where women’s voices are heard, respected, and valued, we can drive meaningful and lasting change.

Aidana Zhakupbekova, CFO, Rydoo

While progress is slowly being made, the fact remains that women are still significantly underrepresented at senior levels in finance. Globally, women make up roughly 47% of entry-level finance roles, yet only around 14 % hold C-suite level positions. Leadership teams are failing to recognise the strength of their own talent pipelines, and businesses risk missing out on stronger performance as a result.

CFO and finance roles are expanding and becoming more strategic, including responding to geopolitical shocks and leading digital transformation. As this trend continues, the more that women are shut out of these roles, the bigger the gap gets. 

Give to Gain’ should be more than just a theme. It’s a wakeup call for finance leaders to create meaningful access and sponsorship that genuinely supports women’s progression. Mentorship and visibility matter, but they need to be backed by structural change. That means going beyond platitudes to create transparent promotion pathways and equal opportunities for high-value assignments.