This year’s theme for IWD is “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” RBI sounds out a number of industry experts to get their take on the significance of IWD and what it means to them.
Helen Owen, Vice President of Marketing at BR-DGE:
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is particularly apt. Progress in DE&I is happening, but it’s too slow and not far-reaching enough. Rather than just sharing inspirational stories and coming together to discuss the importance of empowerment, real change will require everyone taking positive and continuous action so that inclusion becomes part of our individual, company, industry, and societal DNA.
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I believe there are many people who want to make a difference, but are unsure where to start or how. As an industry, we need to come together to provide them with practical steps and tangible actions that give guidance on how to contribute to things like closing the gender pay gap, raising awareness of women’s health issues in the workplace, creating psychologically safe environments and building fintech solutions that are inclusive by design.
This starts with including actionable steps in every discussion we have on DE&I. The call to action could be as simple as asking people to share case studies on initiatives that have had a positive impact for their company or community or sharing the details of how to join a relevant initiative or membership organisation like EWPN, of which I am UK Country Ambassador. The bigger and broader the action, the better, but it’s often the accumulation of smaller, more sustained commitments, that move the dial.
Lastly, we mustn’t forget that to create inclusion and equity, we need to involve as many diverse people and groups as possible. For instance, we shouldn’t ever just talk to women about inclusion for women – we need allies and advocates of all genders to take an interest and be an active agent of change.
Teresa Cameron, Finance Director at Clear Junction
International Women’s Day is our yearly reminder to reflect on the progress that we, as women, have made in the journey toward gender parity – and to ask ourselves, what’s changed?
Over the past two decades, we’ve witnessed a dramatic shift in gender stereotypes, driven by evolving family dynamics, societal norms, and economic pressures. Twenty years ago, it was common to see two-parent families where fathers worked while mothers stayed home with the children. Today, families come in many forms – single-parent households, same-sex parents, and blended families – and the traditional roles have been redefined. In many cases, both parents now share caregiving and financial responsibilities, creating an environment where women can actively pursue their career aspirations.
The workplace has also evolved. Advances in technology and the changes brought by COVID-19 have transformed the traditional 9-to-5 model, allowing greater flexibility. This progress enables women to find a work-life balance that works for them, aim higher in their careers, and take up leadership roles without compromising their personal lives.
That said, we’re not there yet. There’s still much to be done to achieve true equality. We must continue to champion one another, challenge outdated norms, and inspire younger generations. My daughter, for instance, is currently studying at university and pursuing a career in STEM. I encourage her every step of the way, knowing that the progress we’ve made so far has opened doors that were once closed to women. With continued effort and support, I’m confident that the opportunities available to her will only grow.
Nina Papazyan, Head of Product & Banking Integration at Clear Junction
Accelerating gender parity requires bold action and systemic change. From my own experience, returning to work after an extended maternity leave felt like starting from scratch, with assumptions about my capabilities creating an invisible barrier to my progress and shadowing my work. Entering the payments industry with minimal knowledge was equally challenging, but I was fortunate enough to have male mentors who not only guided me but also championed my potential. Their allyship reinforced the important role that advocacy and support play in driving equality.
Yet, allyship alone isn’t enough. True progress demands concrete action – equal pay, flexible policies, and leadership pipelines tailored to empower women at every stage of their careers. Motherhood, and other key life stages, should never be seen as obstacles but as opportunities to rethink and redesign workplaces into truly inclusive environments where everyone can thrive.
Ryta Zasiekina, founder of CONCRYT
I believe in a world where gender should not determine one’s opportunities, especially in business. Equality should be the default, and every individual should be treated based on their professionalism, skills and contributions, not their gender. However, I recognise that the reality is often different and discussions about women’s rights and equality highlight the barriers that still exist.
Competing for resources, recognition and advancement is a challenge for everyone, regardless of gender. But for women, these challenges are often compounded by systemic biases and historical inequalities. Confidence and competence are crucial, but they are not the sole determinants of success. 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. However, it is also critical for companies to foster an environment where fair pay and opportunities are standard, rather than leaving the burden of change solely on individuals.
Equal pay and career advancement should never be granted based on gender alone, but neither should they be denied due to outdated biases. Progress requires both individual action and systemic reform. Women should not have to “play political games” to get ahead, nor should they have to work harder than men to receive the same recognition. Companies 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. Women should feel empowered to demand fairness, but organisations must also take responsibility for ensuring equitable policies and practices. 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.
Dani Palmer, Chief Marketing Officer at Loqbox
Progress isn’t passive—it’s a choice we make every day. If we want gender equality, we must accelerate action by challenging bias, championing inclusion, and pushing for systemic change. The cost of waiting is lost potential, lost voices, and lost opportunities. Urgency isn’t about rushing—it’s about refusing to let another generation inherit the same battles. Change happens when we stop accepting ‘later’ and demand ‘now.’
Mia Hunter, Head of Partnerships at Mollie
Female-founded businesses are still facing major hurdles when it comes to securing the financial support they need. Take femtech, for example – a sector addressing the needs of 3.9 billion women worldwide, representing an immense and largely untapped market opportunity.
While it’s well-known that female founders encounter greater barriers when it comes to securing investment, what’s less widely appreciated is that they are required to overcome barriers to even basic financial services. Research shows that 75% of female founders have been refused a bank account, 60% have had accounts closed, and many face delays and higher fees.
We’ve long known that the problem often comes down to biased AI models and historical data. These models, after all, are built on data from businesses mostly run by men, unintentionally putting female founders at a disadvantage. So, how do we move forward and start addressing these basic challenges once and for all?
The first step should be taken by the payment service providers (PSP), taking a more active role in challenging these biases. By scrutinising the data models behind their risk profiling and being open to reviewing the cases where legitimate businesses have been wrongly excluded s, PSPs can help challenge and overturn unfair decisions. Essentially, these providers have a responsibility to be more open to supporting female-founded businesses and ensure each case is properly evaluated.
Roxanna Bashir, Chief People and Culture Officer at PayFuture
In 1909, New York witnessed the birth of the first-ever Women’s Day. Over a century later, and we’ve made huge strides in addressing the challenges that women face worldwide. But progress remains far too slow. Putting this into perspective, the World Economic Forum predicts that, at our current pace, gender equality won’t be achieved until 2158 – that’s five generations from now. And this assumes that we don’t lose ground, even as hard-won progress faces threats across the globe.
That’s why this year’s International Women’s Day theme of ‘Accelerating Action’ is particularly urgent. Because change in gender equality doesn’t just happen by chance. It happens when we actively break down barriers, champion women in leadership, and ensure equal access to opportunities at every level. In payments and fintech – industries built on disruption – we must lead by example, creating workplaces where gender is never a barrier to success.
At PayFuture, diversity isn’t just something we talk about, it’s how we operate. Our 100-strong team comprises nearly 50% women, speaking over 20 languages and representing more than 20 nationalities. More than a statistic, diversity is our competitive edge, our lifeblood – and we’re growing fast as a result.
Magdalena Schmid-Debska, VP Growth & Marketing, PXP
Creating truly inclusive workplaces requires moving beyond symbolic gestures and accelerating meaningful action. The real challenge organisations face is embedding inclusivity into business strategy, rather than treating it as a standalone initiative or an afterthought.
Workplace experiences are shaped by a range of intersecting factors including race, disability, gender, and socioeconomic background, so inclusion efforts must address these multiple dimensions simultaneously. Awareness alone isn’t enough; real progress can be measured in tangible changes that benefit all employees: flexible work policies, inclusive product design, bias-free hiring practices, and equitable career progression opportunities.
Organisations that implement meaningful structural changes will create environments where all team members can thrive, not just survive. What matters most is transforming commitments into concrete steps that create measurable progress toward more inclusive workplaces.
While positive change starts at the top, too often it stops there. Leadership might drive the inclusivity agenda, but middle management plays a critical role in shaping everyday workplace culture. Without equipping them with the right tools and accountability measures, inclusion efforts will fail to take hold throughout the organisation.
Organisations implementing these practices often see multiple benefits, as stakeholders increasingly recognise inclusive workplaces as indicators of organisational health. Aligning inclusion efforts with broader sustainability goals (like ESG) creates synergies that enhance long-term business impact.
Kardelen Hatun, VP of Engineering, Silverflow
International Women’s Day is more than just a moment in the calendar—it’s a reminder of the work we still need to do to make our industry truly inclusive. As a VP of Engineering, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that true diversity can have on innovation and outcomes. The more perspectives we bring to the table, the stronger our solutions become.
My journey into engineering was shaped early on by my parents, both of whom worked in STEM. Having role models in my own household made it feel natural to pursue my passion for science and problem-solving. I had a strong aptitude for mathematics, and when I discovered computer science, I was drawn to its creative and logical aspects.
A common stereotype about software engineers is that they work in isolation, but in reality, the field is highly collaborative and creative, requiring continuous teamwork, problem-solving, and communication. From studying computer science to leading a team of 40 engineers, I’ve found that out-of-the-box thinking, and teamwork are at the heart of building great technology, making a diverse workforce absolutely paramount.
However, despite progress, there is still an underrepresentation in STEM – only 41% of women are in STEM in Europe. The reality is that people are more likely to pursue careers where they see others like them succeeding. That’s why representation matters—it’s not about tokenism but about breaking down barriers so that more feel encouraged to enter and thrive in the field, regardless of sex or race.
At Silverflow, we’re committed to fostering a culture where diversity is more than just a talking point. We actively work to level the playing field by addressing unconscious bias and ensuring that opportunities for growth and leadership are accessible to all. To truly support diversity in engineering, companies need to go beyond celebrating IWD and take a more holistic approach to cultural change in the workplace. We need to invest in mentorship, equitable hiring practices, and workplace environments where all engineers—regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic background—can flourish.
By championing diversity, we don’t just create better workplaces; we drive better business outcomes, more innovative solutions, and a stronger industry as a whole.
Joanne Wensley, Vice President of Engineering at Smarsh
As someone in an engineering role, one of the biggest challenges facing women working continues to be a lack of representation at every level. It’s important that women feel that they belong, from STEM education all the way through to careers in middle-management and the C-suite.
Throughout my time at university and my career I have observed the gender disparity in technical roles, and that can feel isolating or evoke feelings of imposter syndrome. We need to actively encourage women into these spaces and ensure that they know that they belong just as much as anybody else – because they do. Companies need to create these inclusive environments where everyone, including women, feel confident in their own position at every level of employment.
Leaders must recognise that hiring from different backgrounds is not a hindrance to performance – it broadens an organisation’s network and opens doors to new markets, opportunities and talent. Gender equality and diversity are positives for any organisation and shouldn’t be buzzwords only acknowledged one day a year. It should be a strategic priority for businesses where they build a “pass it forward” culture to gain agility, creativity and resilience.
Lyndsay Kiekbusch, e-commerce specialist at SwishDM
With International Women’s Day approaching this Saturday and global e-commerce sales projected to surpass $6.3trn in 2025, female entrepreneurs have unprecedented opportunities to capture market share in online retail. As women-owned businesses continue to grow at twice the rate of all businesses, staying ahead of emerging trends has become essential for sustainable growth.
The e-commerce space offers remarkable opportunities for women entrepreneurs. The businesses that will thrive in 2025 are those that can anticipate and adapt to changing consumer expectations, and women-led companies often excel at identifying these shifts.
I have set out eight key trends that will shape e-commerce in 2025, to provide valuable insights for female entrepreneurs looking to launch or scale their online ventures.
AI-Powered Personalisation Becomes Standard
Artificial intelligence will transform how online stores interact with customers in 2025. Beyond basic product recommendations, AI systems will create fully personalised shopping experiences that adapt in real-time.
We’re moving well beyond the ‘customers who bought this also bought that’ model. Advanced AI systems will customise every aspect of the shopping journey—from personalised landing pages to individualised pricing strategies and tailored product bundles. This level of personalisation will significantly boost conversion rates for businesses that implement it effectively.
This trend presents a particular advantage for women entrepreneurs, who often bring strong emotional intelligence and customer empathy to their businesses—qualities that can enhance the human touch needed to successfully implement AI personalisation.
Social Commerce Integration Deepens
The lines between social media and e-commerce will continue to blur in 2025, with more seamless shopping experiences embedded directly within social platforms.
Social commerce is evolving from simple product tags to complete purchasing ecosystems within platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and whatever comes next. Women entrepreneurs often excel on these platforms, building authentic connections with audiences that translate into strong customer loyalty.
For female business owners, this represents an opportunity to launch businesses with lower overhead, potentially bypassing the need for a traditional website in the early stages and leveraging their often strong social media presence.
Sustainability Drives Purchasing Decisions
Environmental consciousness will significantly influence consumer choices in 2025, with customers increasingly supporting businesses that demonstrate genuine commitment to sustainability.
This area represents a strong opportunity for women-led businesses, which studies show are more likely to prioritise environmental sustainability than their male-led counterparts. Transparent supply chains, eco-friendly packaging, and carbon-neutral shipping options will become powerful differentiators that align with values many female entrepreneurs already embrace.
Voice and Visual Search Optimisation
As voice assistants and visual search technologies mature, optimising for these alternative search methods will become increasingly important for e-commerce visibility.
This year, we expect that over 30% of online searches will happen without a keyboard. Female entrepreneurs developing products specifically for women consumers have a unique advantage in understanding the language patterns and visual preferences of their target audience.
Augmented Reality Enhances Online Shopping
Augmented reality (AR) will help bridge the gap between online and in-store experiences, allowing customers to virtually try products before purchasing.
AR technology is becoming more accessible to smaller retailers. From virtual fitting rooms for clothing to visualising furniture in your home, these tools reduce purchase anxiety and lower return rates. Women-led beauty, fashion, and home décor businesses are already pioneering these technologies with impressive results.
Subscription Models Expand Across Categories
The subscription economy will expand beyond traditional categories like streaming services and meal kits into new product areas, offering businesses predictable revenue and deeper customer relationships.
Women entrepreneurs have already found significant success in subscription models across beauty, wellness, and lifestyle categories. The recurring revenue from these models provides stability that can help female founders secure additional funding and scale their businesses more effectively.
Frictionless Payment and Checkout Solutions
One-click purchasing, digital wallets, and cryptocurrency payments will streamline the buying process, reducing cart abandonment rates.
The businesses that minimise steps between product discovery and purchase completion will win in 2025. This focus on removing barriers aligns with the approach many women entrepreneurs take in solving customer pain points and improving user experience.
Hyper-Local Fulfilment Networks
The race for faster delivery will intensify, with more businesses adopting micro-fulfilment centres and local delivery partnerships to meet consumer expectations for near-instant gratification.
Women business owners often excel at building community connections and partnerships. This community-oriented approach positions them perfectly to develop the local fulfilment networks that will become increasingly important in 2025.
As we approach International Women’s Day 2025, many of these emerging e-commerce trends align perfectly with strengths often found in women-led businesses—strong customer empathy, authentic community building, and values-driven operations.
For female entrepreneurs launching or scaling an e-commerce venture, the barriers to entry are lower than ever. My advice to women business owners is to leverage your unique perspective and focus on one or two trends that align with your business model.
Women-led companies often outperform in key metrics like customer satisfaction. By focusing on authentic connections and delivering genuine value, women entrepreneurs can turn these 2025 trends into significant growth opportunities.
Lynda Clarke, Chief Operating Officer at Tribe Payments
International Women’s Day isn’t just about celebrating women – it’s about building a fairer, stronger world that includes everyone. When women have equal opportunities, businesses perform better, economies grow, and innovation thrives. The day serves as a reminder that equality isn’t just a ‘women’s issue’ – research consistently shows that diverse organisations outperform their competitors. So, a workplace that values diverse perspectives fosters innovation, improves problem-solving, and boosts employee morale is just smart.
True inclusion means ensuring everyone has a voice and the opportunity to use it. When people from different backgrounds come together, we eliminate blind spots and drive smarter decision-making. How many times have we asked ourselves, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ More often than not, it’s because we’ve never experienced that perspective firsthand.
Even in challenging times, investing in inclusion must be a long-term business strategy, not a passing trend. The debate around DEI continues, but the data speaks for itself: inclusion isn’t just something we do on the side when we can afford it – it’s a core driver of success. After all, we all have friends, colleagues, daughters, sisters – people we care about – who deserve a fair shot at success.
Meantime, with impeccable timing, Sarah Coles at Hargreaves Lansdown comments on the gender investment gap.
Gender ISA gap: a third more men invest but HL data shows reasons for hope
- HMRC data shows that women hold 52% of all ISAs, but 1.9 million men took out a stocks and shares ISA in 2021/22, while only 1.41 million women did.
- Newer data from HL shows that 61% of people who hold a stocks and shares ISA with HL are men. This percentage has held steady for the past three years.
- Among HL customers, the average balance in stocks and shares ISAs is higher among women than men.
Sarah Coles, head of personal finance, Hargreaves Lansdown
The gender ISA gap isn’t going anywhere fast. Men are still far more likely to hold stocks and shares ISAs than women – and they’ve made up a solid 61% of HL clients for the past three years. It means that despite women holding more ISAs overall, the fact that they’re focused on cash means men stand a better chance of growing their ISA pots over time, and women run the risk of running to stand still.
Overall, the HMRC figures show women are making a super-human effort to build their ISAs: they’re more likely to have one than men – in 2021/22, 52% of ISA holders were women. However, in the same year, men were still far more likely to pay into stock and shares isas – around half a million more men did so in one year alone. Women were much more likely to pay into cash ISAs instead. Given that stocks and shares have more growth potential than cash, there’s the risk that the gender ISA gap is only going to widen over time.
Reasons for the ISA gap
Women’s reluctance to invest owes a great deal to the fact that on average they earn less than men, and the more you earn, the more likely you are to have an investment ISA. Women tend to have less secure incomes, because they’re more likely to have breaks in their career for caring responsibilities or work part time and face a drop in income. It means some may feel they cannot face the risk involved with investment.
There’s no denying that there is risk involved, but the way we tend to assess long-term risk is faulty. We feel losses more keenly, so women can over-estimate the risk that investments will lose money over the long term. They may also underestimate the risk their cash ISA will lose value after inflation.
This helps to explain why the HL figures show that men were more likely to have paid a lump sum into their stocks and shares ISA than women over the previous 12 months
However, men are also more likely to set up regular investments, which is a brilliant way to build an investment pot. Women may feel they can’t afford to commit to the regular expense, but it’s worth knowing you can put aside as little as £25 a month, so it doesn’t need to be a major outlay. It may be that once more women know they can pay into investments little and often, it could help break down the gender ISA gap.
Even when you factor in the gender pay gap, it doesn’t explain everything, because when you look at the gender ISA gap between men and women, it is opening up by the time they reach the age of 19. At this point there’s little difference between the incomes of men and women, and the pay gap doesn’t ready bed in before the age of 40.It means more needs to be done to connect women with the potential of investment.
Women who invest
Women who invest are building impressive investment portfolios. Among HL ISA clients, women who have taken the plunge and invested in ISAs hold more on average in them than men. Women hold an average of £60,109 and men an average of £59,366 (figures exclude JISA and LISA).
Defying any thoughts that women and men have fundamentally different approaches to risk is the fact that many of the most popular investments are similar for both men and women, with large global index funds, US index funds and technology index funds, and popular managed funds like Lindsell Train Global Equity and Fundsmith Equity making the top ten.
Men are marginally more likely to hold more single company shares in their portfolio, and slightly more likely to hold overseas shares. However, for both men and women, funds make up the bulk of the portfolio.
