International Women’s Day 2026: Support must not stop after the hire is made
Women in the tech industry emphasise the importance of maintaining a sustained commitment to diversity that extends beyond the initial recruitment stage
International Women’s Day (IWD) takes place this weekend, offering a chance to celebrate the progress achieved within the channel while also serving as a call to action to continue advancing diversity and inclusion.
The annual event provides an opportunity for women across the channel to share their stories to inspire others, and to call for continued action to ensure that more women choose to enter the industry.
This year’s theme is “Give to Gain”, encouraging employers and institutions to do more to get women into the workforce.
The message from Maxine Blackwell, people and culture director at Zen Internet, is that there needs to be a greater focus on developing careers once women have entered the workforce.
“The tech industry talks a lot about attracting women into roles, but far less about what happens once they’re there. The real issue is progression, visibility and retention. If women don’t see clear pathways to leadership, flexible working that genuinely works for them and role models at a senior level, recruitment alone doesn’t solve the problem,” she said.
“Tech’s impact on society is only growing. Maximising the benefits and opportunities for all starts with equal representation across the whole sector,” she added. “While overall, progress has been made within the sector, it continues to be slow. I believe that this is because diversity is still not driven as hard as it should be in many organisations. It is still seen as doing the right thing, as opposed to being a core strategic business objective.”
Chatrine Åkerström, commercial product manager at monitoring specialist ITRS, agrees that work needs to continue to attract and support more women in the industry.
“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,” she said.
“It also helps when expectations are clear. If people understand what good looks like and what’s required to move forward, progression feels fairer and less dependent on being in the right place at the right time,” Åkerström added.
Inclusion is not about fitting in; it is about creating space for difference. When diverse voices are genuinely heard, teams become more creative, more empathetic and, ultimately, more successful
June Lee, Workato
That sense of employers choosing to take a positive approach is one that June Lee, head of APAC and senior vice-president of social impact at Workato, picks up on.
“I have learned that inclusion does not happen by accident; it requires intentionality. Speaking up helps remind teams that there are different cultures and lived experiences in the room. I have frequently been that person, asking for context or explanations that others take for granted. It requires confidence, but it also improves the quality of dialogue and decision-making for everyone. Progress requires the courage to speak up, to make mistakes, and to keep learning,” she said.
“Inclusion is not about fitting in; it is about creating space for difference. When diverse voices are genuinely heard, teams become more creative, more empathetic and, ultimately, more successful,” Lee added.
Jamie Hawkins, marketing director at DH2i, echoed the views of many by highlighting the commercial benefits of employing a diverse staff.
“For me, International Women’s Day serves as a meaningful reminder that diversity isn’t just a policy and regulations checkbox. It truly drives innovation and growth. When a team is made up of people who bring different experiences, perspectives and backgrounds to the discussion, the team is able to challenge assumptions, better understand the communities they serve – or wish to serve – and generate stronger ideas. While it may take a tad more effort and intention to align the team, the outcome is almost always more innovative and … more impactful,” she said.
Overcoming challenges
The experience of Samantha Varley, CSIRT analyst at Orange Cyberdefense, recounted below, illustrates the challenges that those looking to break into the industry can face.
“Even with a first-class degree in cyber security and digital forensics, early rejections from employers shattered my confidence. When I found the application for my current role, there were a few requirements I didn’t feel confident about. I almost walked away. It took my support network pushing me to finally submit my CV.
This is a cycle I see constantly when speaking to women entering tech. We might absolutely smash 80% of a job’s criteria, but if we don’t hit 100%, we hyper-focus on the parts we lack. We write ourselves off before the employer gets a chance to see our potential.
We need to change this narrative. That starts with more women representing cyber on social platforms and industry panels to normalise what real career paths look like. You don’t always need a specialised degree to pivot into cyber, and you certainly don’t need to tick every single box on an application. You can learn the final parts on the job.
My advice to women starting out is stop obsessing over the criteria you don’t meet yet. Be bold and apply anyway. Allowing yourself to authentically be you is what will ultimately open the doors for you to excel.”
