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International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. A day to acknowledge the positive strides made in advancing gender equality, but a stark reminder that there’s still much work to be done. This year’s theme, "Accelerating Action," emphasises the need for urgency in addressing the systemic barriers that women continue to face. It calls on us to set actionable goals and take decisive steps to overcome these challenges, actively creating (not just waiting for) a world where women have the same opportunities, including to succeed and lead, regardless of industry.
At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158 (about five generations from now), to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum.
In the sectors Libra work in, such as logistics, manufacturing, and supply chain, progress has definitely been made over the last couple of decades, but as I repeatedly sit in rooms as the only female, it couldn’t be more obvious we still have a long way to go.
A statement I’ve heard more times than I can count. It’s often said with the assumption that the mere existence of laws allowing women to do the same jobs as men means equality has been achieved. However, it’s far more complicated than that.
The reality is, that while women have the right to pursue the same jobs as men, the path to equality is still laden with challenges. In the UK, the gender pay gap continues to persist, with women in full-time roles earning, on average, 7.0% less than men. Among all employees, the gender pay gap is 13.1% (ONS 2024). This gap isn’t solely due to women working in lower-paying sectors - it reflects deeper issues in pay, career progression, and representation at a leadership level.
Women hold just 34% of senior roles in the UK, and in many traditionally male-dominated sectors, that figure is even lower (ONS, 2023). This is where the myth of equality starts to fall apart. Women may technically be “allowed” to pursue the same jobs, but the lack of female leadership and the ongoing pay gap show that equality hasn’t truly been achieved.
When we look at STEM fields, the gap widens even further. Women account for just 26.3% of the core STEM workforce in the UK (WISE, 2022), and this underrepresentation starts at university level, with only 24-27% of STEM subject students in higher education being female, even less when looking specifically at engineering and computing-related degrees.
Many people who argue that equality already exists often overlook the glass ceiling that still limits women’s career advancement. This isn’t just about pay disparity for the same work - it’s about the complex web of biases and barriers that hold women back from reaching the highest levels of leadership.
There is also a misunderstanding among many about what the gender pay gap really means. Too often, social media and online videos misrepresent the issue, spreading misinformation about women’s pay and career choices. Some argue that the pay gap is simply a result of women’s preferences or work-life balance decisions. These arguments distract from the real issue: the structural barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potential.
As a company, you have little to no control over how many women exist in the job market for the roles you advertise, however, there are several small things you can do to ensure you are attracting, retaining, and supporting women in your business.
"Clear pay structures, development opportunities, and flexible working arrangements are key to making roles more accessible. Additionally, fostering practices that promote transparency and accountability around pay and career progression is essential for ensuring equal opportunities and creating a more equitable workplace. Strong policies, such as parental leave, dedicated menopause/PMS support, and structured mentoring, can help women feel supported at every stage of their careers. However, policies alone aren’t enough - they must be embedded in a culture where women feel valued, heard, and genuinely able to succeed."
"Inclusivity and accessibility in the hiring process are crucial. This includes providing details in the job advert, such as showcasing salary ranges and encouraging candidates to apply even if they don’t meet every single requirement. During interviews, having a diverse hiring panel is essential. Not only does it offer reassurance to women by showing visibility of others like them in the company, but it also ensures a variety of voices in the decision-making process, helping to mitigate bias. These practices benefit all candidates, not just women."
"Supporting women in the workspace is about acknowledging, supporting and respecting different perspectives and openly recognising the contribution they make. In other words, ensuring that women are treated with the same supportive, positive behaviours and opportunities as all colleagues would properly expect and demand. It is also about challenging the negative, stereotype-driven language and behaviour which diminishes respect and creates a toxic work environment for all, part of which may be assumptions and perceptions, spoken or otherwise, about the suitability of women for roles or tasks without the respect of open discussion and involvement in decision-making processes."
Moreover, there is a variety of training available to help build a supportive and inclusive culture, such as training on sustaining equity, removing bias, and fostering psychological safety. In addition to training, you can promote use of inclusive language, support/create Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and conduct regular pay audits across the business.
Finally creating a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination is crucial, which goes hand in hand with building trust within teams to speak up about anything they see/hear. It’s on all of us to say something, either in the moment or with your HR team. Pretend you're on the train listening to the iconic British Transport Police advert if it helps. See it, say it, sorted!
With research showing companies with diverse leadership teams and inclusive practices consistently outperforming those which don’t, we’re past the chatter of ‘meeting diversity quotas’ and are onto actively building successful teams. Diverse teams not only bring a wealth of experiences, perspectives and ideas, but they are also positively correlated with employee satisfaction and happiness in the workplace meaning that you can easily retain and attract talent.
At Libra, we understand that ensuring diversity in a male-dominated industry isn’t always easy, we have felt that first-hand when recruiting, and the suggestions put forward by the team are things we a reactively working on as we commit to continually improve as we advertise roles and support the women currently in the business.
Saying that, we have some amazing female leaders in our client base and as IWD nears, we reached out to some and discussed the obstacles they faced, and how we can begin to dismantle them for future female leaders.
“I feel this is an easy one, imposter Syndrome! This is something I have found a personal challenge even when operating in my substantive profession field of HR, when moving to a Plant Manager role this hit new heights, thankfully I am surrounded by my peers who have offered unwavering support.”
“Honestly, being compared to men all the time. That might sound strange, but let me explain. In the business world, there are traditional, male-based ideals of what’s considered good performance - like influencing, negotiation, confidence, selling, and decision-making. Women are often expected to adopt these male traits, but many approach things differently. We achieve great results in our own ways, and hearing “she wasn’t assertive enough” or “she needs more gravitas” are often based on male traits, and results in women (including me) trying to be male replicas. Instead, let’s value the output and impact, not just the approach. Let’s appreciate quiet or subtle influence and assertiveness, and let’s better use the nurturing, compassion, and empathy that women bring in abundance to deals and negotiations.”
“Better support and acknowledgement of responsibilities away from the workplace, family-friendly policies and flexibility. Conviction on closing pay inequality & and transparency to avoid gender bias.”
“I think it really helps when you have a diverse board of Directors so my advice would be to make sure you have women in your leadership team, and then from this the management team. This also helps change the dynamics of the organisation as we have a mix of thoughts, strengths and experiences. With women in leadership roles, the culture of recruiting women starts to change. “
“Creating an inclusive and diverse culture where no one voice is more important than another is paramount.”
“We should all be open to challenge from our peers, and more importantly our teams, and actively encourage them to feedback things they would want to see more (or less) of.”
“My mindset is key, being able to tackle it from a more objective angle. I see it as my responsibility to help create awareness and foster an inclusive culture and mindset in others. Even just opening up the discussion and making people aware that it exists and how it shows up can be insightful and create positive change.”
“Actions often speak louder than words. We can talk about what is right and wrong, but we need to take the next step and show the words, actions and behaviours that can make a real difference.”
It goes without saying, (although I am saying, well typing, it anyway), that this post highlights just one of the struggles women are facing in the UK, and every country is at a different stage in their journey for equality facing different challenges along the way. Every year IWD comes around, I always take a moment to reflect on Audre Lorde’s words “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are different from my own” which fills me with a weird mixture of sadness, urgency and optimism. Sadness for the countless women who have, are, and will suffer, simply because of their biological sex, urgency for it to stop as soon as possible, and optimism that one day it will…
General interesting reads this IWD:
State of Girls’ Rights Report 2024
Where Have All the Girls Gone? Neurodiversity and Females by Professor Amanda Kirby
The Gender Pay Gap
How the Choice of Toys Impacts the Future of Girls
