This year’s theme for International Women’s Day (IWD) is ‘Accelerate Action’ and asks us to take proactive steps to achieve gender equality. We often discuss the gender pay gap, leadership representation and workplace bias but some other issues that disproportionately affect women include menopause and caring for elderly relatives. Whilst the latter can be more split, research shows that women take on a larger share of caregiving, impacting their careers, finances, and mental well-being.
Celebrated on March 8th, we spoke with some in different areas and departments of SWG about what advice they would give to accelerate action.
Anna Roberts, UK, ROW Marketing Manager
What does ‘accelerate action’ mean to me? For me, it means not being afraid to question decisions and social norms if they are not progressing and moving the dial forward and setting that example for everyone around you.
I’m lucky I’ve always worked with and been surrounded by incredible, multi-faceted women who aren’t afraid to ask questions – sometimes hard ones. Just because something has been done one way before doesn’t mean it needs to be like that forever, and with change comes opportunities and requires action from all of us.
Alicia Jenkins, Australia, Operations
Gender equality and eliminating bias are topics we often hear about—but for me, it’s become clear that real change only happens when we each take action. It’s not enough to just support the idea of equality; we need to live it, call it out, and actively work towards it every day. In my own experience, I’ve seen how easily bias can slip into everyday moments—who gets the opportunities, who is heard in meetings, or who is overlooked for recognition. And honestly, there have been times I haven’t spoken up when I should have. But if we want things to be different, we need to be different.
So how do we Accelerate Action? For me, it comes down to a few simple but powerful commitments:
- Speak up when something isn’t right – If you notice bias, say something. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just be brave enough to start the conversation.
- Lift others as you climb – Actively support and recommend others, especially those who aren’t always given a seat at the table. It’s amazing the impact a simple “Have you considered [name] for this?” can have.
- Reflect on your own habits – I try to regularly pause and check: Whose voices am I listening to? Who am I mentoring? Who am I bringing into the conversation?
- Be part of driving change, not just talking about it – Whether it’s joining a workplace initiative, setting measurable goals, or just holding ourselves accountable, we each have a role to play.
Change doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when ordinary people decide to take small, consistent actions that add up to something bigger. So, my challenge to you is this: What’s one thing you can do today to help accelerate action towards equality? Because the truth is, the time to act is now. And it starts with us.
Sukhminder Kaur, UK, QA Testing Team Lead
A woman has the power to shape the world. The key to achieving anything is to have belief in yourself. As a woman, I can say that it is common for us to think that our male counterparts may perform better and that we may not receive equal opportunities. Let us break these barriers, step forward, share our ideas, and see them implemented.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Neha Patel, UK, HR & Operations Manager
Personally, accelerating action means having the confidence to challenge the status quo and push for progress. Change doesn’t happen by staying silent—questioning decisions, speaking up, and leading by example helps drive real impact. I’ve grown up surrounded by strong, determined women who have shown me the power of resilience and taking action. I’ve also been fortunate to work alongside inspiring women and allies who aren’t afraid to ask tough questions, and that’s what I’ve found sparks real change. Progress requires action from all of us, irrespective of gender and every step forward counts.
Hazel Bedson, UK, Marketing Director
Regardless of industry sector it is still widely recognised that there are gender equality gaps in the workplace and females remain under-represented in many management/leadership roles.
Of course, both men and women face challenges in terms of balancing work and personal commitments. But it is especially important for women to be supported in ways that allow them to grow, notably during key life stages, such as pregnancy and motherhood. In the UK at least, the reality is that women are far more likely than men to take a career break for caring responsibilities – either as a new parent or to care for elderly relatives. Whilst UK legislation in recent years have enabled shared parental leave, the reality is that statutory paternity allowance in the UK is the least generous in Europe.
Working for a Swedish-owned company has highlighted to me the benefits of the Scandinavian model – which puts both parents on a more equal (and financially stable) footing – offering positive outcomes for parents of all genders, children, workplaces, and society in general. Further UK legislative review of parental leave will hopefully come, although in reality, real change will take time to have any significant effect.
Workplaces themselves can also help support female employees by creating the right environment for them to succeed. This may include offering flexible or hybrid working – which made great leaps post-Covid, but some recent news stories of corporations mandating a full-time return to the office will inevitably impact women more than men to support work and personal commitments.
Another example may be by introducing internal networking or mentoring schemes, pairing junior female staff with experienced female mentors – women who have faced similar challenges – to provide guidance, helping the next generation of potential female leaders to overcome barriers and move into leadership positions. Gender diversity at all levels is important to SWG; our Senior Leadership team is over 50% female; we have broad female representation at all management levels. I am proud to say that I have a fantastic all-female team who support one another in our respective careers, helping to build potential future women leaders in the IT sector.
