International Women’s Day 2026, themed “Balance the Scales,” is a reminder that as continued technological innovation reshapes the way we work and live, equal representation in the rooms where technology decisions are made has never mattered more.
Across marketing, advertising, technology, legal and loyalty, women in leadership reflect on the structural barriers that persist and the responsibility leaders carry to create systems where women have influence.
All these leaders echo the same sentiment: that equitable innovation does not happen by accident. It is built intentionally through sponsorship, measurable goals, inclusive product design, flexible work structures and the courage to challenge outdated norms.
Tipping the Scales Starts with Time
Dr Anna Harrison, Founder, RAMMP
In technology, we talk about AI bias, algorithmic fairness, venture funding gaps. All real issues. But underneath it sits something far more basic: time. Cognitive bandwidth. Freedom from default domestic responsibility.
You can write policy all day long. But if one parent is still the default for school lunches, sick days, permission slips and emotional logistics, the scales are already tipped. Technology doesn’t fix imbalance. It amplifies whatever already exists.
“Balance the scales” to me means designing systems, at home and at work, where neither side collapses under assumed obligation.
Collaboration, Compliance and a Filtered Perception
Fabrizia Roberto, Fractional CMO, Founder, www.fabriziaroberto.com
One of the most persistent challenges for women in marketing and tech is that judgment is often filtered through perception. Men are assumed capable until proven otherwise; women are often required to prove capability repeatedly, even after long records of success.
Women are often encouraged to be collaborative and consensus-driven, until that collaboration turns into compliance. When women challenge assumptions or hold a firm line, they’re more likely to be labelled “difficult” or “uncollaborative”, rather than decisive.
I’ve experienced this firsthand: being seen as collaborative when I agree and uncollaborative when I don’t – in particular when refusing to say “yes” simply to protect someone else’s ego. That’s not collaboration; that’s appeasement. And it’s a standard rarely applied evenly across genders.
International Women’s Day creates space to name these dynamics out loud and to reset expectations. If marketing and tech truly want better outcomes – better products, stronger brands, more sustainable growth – then they need leaders who can challenge thinking, place smart bets and act with conviction.
Diversity Fuels Innovation
Georgina Ryan, Senior Sales Manager, Nexxen
Whilst I do believe the gender representation gaps are closing, and women are entering the industry in greater numbers, some long-standing cultural and structural challenges remain.
It would be remiss not to acknowledge the disproportionate challenges the gender diverse
community may face on International Women’s Day and the representation of First Nations women in the industry.
International Women’s Day is important to celebrate in not only the tech/adtech industry but in the media industry as a whole, as it is imperative that women are represented in an industry which thrives on diverse perspectives.
Gender-diverse teams can challenge assumptions and design campaigns that resonate with broader audiences. Many women still don’t see obvious entry points into programmatic, data engineering, or platform roles. Highlighting female leaders during IWD makes success visible, which helps normalise women in technical and commercial leadership positions, which is a powerful signal to the next generation.
Balancing the Scales in Startups and Entrepreneurship
Pip Stocks, Founder of the Startup Muse
Globally, 30 percent of all businesses are run by women yet last year in Australia women-only founding teams raised less than 0.5 percent of total venture capital, down from around 2–3 percent in preceding years. This marks one of the lowest levels on record for female-led startup funding and definitely not progress. This is not a pipeline problem. It is an equity issue, a balance issue, with capital deployment a problem.
What makes this imbalance more troubling is that women-led businesses consistently demonstrate strong fundamentals. Research shows they often generate more revenue per dollar invested than male-led enterprises, prioritising sustainability, capital efficiency and long-term value creation.
Entrepreneurship for women is more than a career choice, it is a pathway to choice and financial security. With the right systemic changes, those female founders become future investors and only then, do we see a shift in balance.
Beyond entrepreneurship, it’s also important to look at balancing the scales in women’s careers as a whole in the age of AI. AI is removing many traditional entry-level jobs especially the repetitive, process-driven roles that used to be a young person’s way in. Pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone.
The real question is whether we respond with fear or redesign. We need to stop preparing young women for ladder-based careers and start preparing them to build, direct, and collaborate with AI.
Innovation as an Amplifier of Human Judgment
Aparna Watal, Partner at Halfords IP
I believe innovation should amplify human judgment, creativity and fairness rather than replace it. For example, in legal practice, AI tools can reduce administrative burden and improve efficiency, but only if we build them with ethical guardrails and a diverse dataset. Otherwise they risk entrenching existing inequities.
Equitable innovation means designing systems that consider diverse perspectives, mitigate bias, and create opportunities for under-represented groups to lead, create and thrive. This is true whether you are helping a small business protect its brand, or shaping how new technologies are governed.
How to Accelerate Real, Tangible Change
Bel Lloyd, Customer Success Lead, Amperity
As a woman in technology, this year’s IWD theme resonates deeply with both my personal journey and professional mission at Amperity.
Today’s tech landscape, from AI and automation to digital transformation, is rapidly reshaping how we work, solve problems and innovate. But technologies like AI also have the potential to embed and amplify bias if diverse voices aren’t included in their design and deployment. IWD reminds me that gender equity isn’t just a social goal, it’s a business and innovation imperative.
When it comes to ‘balancing the scales,’ we need to set measurable goals for gender balance, not just in entry-level roles, but in leadership and technical decision-making positions. We also need to Invest in bias awareness and inclusive leadership training so teams understand how to build and nurture truly inclusive environments.
This will further encourage businesses and leaders to commit to real action, not just discussion, from inclusive hiring and mentorship programs to addressing bias in how teams and tools are built.
Ultimately, real change happens when organisations commit to clear, actionable strategies, not just good intentions. And when women support each other to grow, lead and innovate together.
Intentionally Driving Better Outcomes
Caitlin Stephens, Chief of Staff APAC, Eagle Eye
This theme feels especially relevant to the tech sector as not only does tech increasingly shape so many aspects of our every day, but it is also moving incredibly fast and scaling. An imbalance in representation at this moment in time, in the age of data and AI, could have far-reaching negative consequences that also scale in the wrong direction.
Creating ‘balance’ or inclusive environments is not something we can pay lip service to, or just a ‘nice to have’. Inclusivity now will drive better decisions and outcomes. When leadership and technology teams are diverse, we challenge assumptions earlier. We design more thoughtfully. We build products that actually reflect the customers using them.
Change requires an intentional and proactive approach to ensure women receive access to the same opportunities. Who gets recommended for the stretch assignment? Who gets introduced to the investor? Who gets amplified in a meeting?
One of the most powerful tools I have in leadership is the ability to provide sponsorship, to be someone who highlights and amplifies the talents of women based on their merits and unique perspectives and to back this up with policies, and structures within organisations that aim to remove some of the traditional barriers that can hold them back. Think parental leave, flexibility, Women’s ERGs and our very own “Purple Women” initiative at Eagle Eye, mentorship and leadership development.
A Promising Future
Sarah Richardson, Founder and Director at Australian Loyalty Association
For me, International Women’s Day is a promise for a future where every woman and girl is heard, seen and valued.
A lot has changed in loyalty because women have had a seat at the table. Loyalty used to be much simpler. When I started, mobile phones were hardly in operation. Now it’s about understanding the complex customer journey, commercial modelling, relevance, data, personalisation, emotional connection and AI.
Real, tangible change comes from backing women to trust their judgement, giving them space to shine, and removing systemic barriers. Our business is like a rollercoaster. Hang on tight or jump off. I choose to hang on to see the next chapter of this wonderful journey and to work with the exceptional women and people on our team.
