International Women's Day 2026

This year marks the 115th anniversary of International Women’s Day. There’s no doubt that women’s rights have come a long way since 1911, but there’s still work to do.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025, it will take another 123 years to reach full global gender parity at the current rate of progress.

Many women still face significant barriers in work and business, including:

· Unequal pay and limited opportunities for progression

· The impact of caring responsibilities on career paths

· Higher levels of stress, burnout, and self-doubt

· Pressure to conform, fit in, or stay silent

For women running businesses, additional challenges can include securing funding, finding mentors, and coping with fear of failure. It’s little wonder that today, only one in five UK businesses is led by a woman.

With this in mind, I hosted an online panel event where I was joined by Brianna Harvey of Digital Flamingo; Lucy Wade, the founder of DIP in and out with Lucy C.I.C; Nicole Sherwood of Stellar Accountancy; and Sara Fixter of Circle Funerals, to discuss equality, work, wellbeing, and what this year’s theme “Give to Gain” means to them.

Before I share some of what came out of the panel, I want to acknowledge that there can be mixed feelings about International Women’s Day. There is rightly criticism about performative posts, and even how this year’s theme could be problematic given that women are often the ones asked to volunteer, or speak at events without being paid. However, I also saw posts that seemed to shame women for simply wishing each other a Happy IWD. For me, it's not “either/or”; it’s “both/and” in that we can be rightly indignant about inequality but also celebrate the women in our lives!

Role Models and Visibility

The panel opened by recognising that while progress has been made, real barriers remain. Although women may make up a large proportion of professions such as social media marketing and counselling, it was highlighted that they can be underrepresented at more senior and leadership levels. In traditionally male-dominated industries such as funeral directing, there can still be assumptions made that women aren’t in charge of operational matters or can’t do more physical tasks such as carrying a coffin.

This is why it’s so important that women have visible role models and lift each other up. Tying in with the theme “Give to Gain”, the panel shared some of the ways that they have been supported or how they support others.  Whether this is through giving talks in schools, encouraging others to share their wins on social media, liking posts on Linkedin, sharing knowledge and experience or advocating for someone in a room they’re not in.

At the same time, the panel recognised the importance of caution and discernment, as sometimes the barriers come from the attitudes of other women such as competitiveness, gatekeeping or the sense that “I had to do it the hard way, so why should it be easier for you?” However, as highlighted by Brianna;

“One woman’s success doesn’t take away anything from others, and it actually makes it easier for the next woman to step forward.”

When discussing female role models, the examples that came up were less about famous names but more about colleagues, friends and family members. It was a great reminder that in some way we are all role models as it’s often what we see that makes us realise what it possible. So simply showing up visibly in your career, business and community can have a ripple effect.

The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media

One place where we are all more visible is social media, but as the panel discussed this can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand it can be a great source of inspiration, open up conversations and help us to connect with others.   However, it can also reinforce stereotypes about how women are expected to present themselves, fuel comparison culture and showcase curated highlight reels that leave many feeling like they’re falling short. However, as Sara pointed out;

“Let’s not confuse visibility with substance.”

The Mental Load and Wellbeing

Although discussions about women’s equality often focus on the workplace, the imbalance at home can’t be ignored. One statistic that I came across is that, on average, women do 26 hours of unpaid work per week, compared with 16 for men. It’s not just the practical tasks such as cooking, cleaning, shopping, childcare etc but the organising, remembering appointments, and even knowing where someone has left their keys.

That women often carry more of the mental load is something that Gemma Hartley discusses in her book Fed Up. So, for example, even if you reduce the practical load by employing a cleaner, there is still the emotional load of being the one to research services, get quotes, arrange times and payments.

With so many demands on their time and energy, it’s easy to see how these pressures can take a real toll on women’s wellbeing, so I was keen to explore this with the panel, including the important but sometimes overlooked role of financial wellbeing.

Between the gender pay gap, career breaks for caring responsibilities, and lower pension contributions over a lifetime, many women face extra pressures that can affect both confidence and long-term security. However, as Nicole highlighted, it isn’t always just about budgets and financial planning; mindset around money plays a big part too. “Finances are not just maths,” she said. “It’s something that’s emotional, behavioural - it’s so much deeper.”

Lucy also highlighted how important this is when considering domestic abuse. A lack of financial resources can keep someone stuck in an abusive situation, and financial control is a form of abuse that often gets overlooked. She shared a very striking example of how one of her podcast guests felt overwhelmed at having the freedom to choose how to spend £5.

Self care and final reflections

After talking about wellbeing more generally, I asked each of the panellists what they actually do to look after their own wellbeing. A common theme was boundaries and getting better at saying no. Another was making time for yourself which could be going for a walk with the dog,  totally switching off and watching Real Housewives, or simply a cup of coffee enjoyed in silence before the start of the day.

My final question was to ask each of the panellists for just one thing they’d want the audience to take away from the event. Here is what they had to say;

Brianna:

“I think I want women to take away that you don't have to have everything figured out to move forward. And that's why we do have these supportive spaces. And sometimes they don't come knocking on your door to say, ‘Hey, we're here.’ Sometimes we have to seek them out. And that's okay. Like we should be doing that and seeing what kind of help and support is out there, supportive networks and talks like this and supportive networks that are, you know, in your city or your town. They do exist. Online spaces if you can't. And don't be afraid to speak up. Don't be afraid to ask any questions. Share your experience and support the women around you, because sometimes the most powerful thing that you can do is just to remind each other that we all belong in the room.”

Lucy:

"We have days where we don't have the best of days, we have days where we have fantastic days, and so we have to accept that we haven't got it all together, but that's okay, we don't need to have everything figured out. We don't need to be able to say, yeah, I know exactly what I'm going to do today, tomorrow, next week, next year. My dad actually loves art, and he'd done a quote, I think it's a Banksy quote, and I keep it on my fridge every day, and it's the ‘If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.’ And so I see that every day, so when I have maybe had a very difficult conversation with somebody, it's that you know what? I'm tired. I just need a little bit of rest, and then I can come back fresh. So that, for me, is something I would definitely say is a good takeaway.

Nicole:

“Each of us have the power to create the life of our choosing. No matter the ups and downs of the journey, it's all part of that rhythm. But the thing that just makes it beautiful is having that support and community around you, those besties who tell you, remind you, who you are when you have those moments of doubt. But remember, you do have the power to influence your life, so just take that away.

Sara:

"I think leadership looks like different things, you know, it's different things for everybody, and, you know, you don't always have to be operating from a position of absolute strength. And supportive networks are so important. I think staying true to your values is incredibly important in work and in personal life. And I think.doing that, it builds integrity and it builds trust, and it will put you, you know, in really, really good stead.”

If any of this has caused you to reflect on your own wellbeing, work, or the pressures you’re juggling, please do get in touch to find out how I can help.

📞 07543 408551

📧 susan@sccounselling.co.uk

💻 www.sccounselling.co.uk