International Women’s Day 2025 – A Call To Action

Back in 2013, I was working with an incredible group of young women Advocates from Girlguiding. We were discussing which girls’ rights issues they wanted to make a stand for. Top of the list was joining the ‘No More Page Three’ campaign – calling for the Sun Newspaper to end its topless models feature.

When I asked them why this was so important, they explained that having those pictures at school, in their classrooms and common rooms, normalised making inappropriate comments about girls’ bodies. The photos gave permission for non-inclusive, unsafe and embarrassing comments and behaviours in an environment where their safety should have been guaranteed. Essentially, it created a new ‘social norm’ that impacted the culture of their schools.

Watching those young women speak out for their rights remains one of the proudest moments of my career.

So now it is International Women’s Day twelve years later. An urgent call to action for rights, equality and empowerment.

It comes at a critical moment for diversity, equity and inclusion. Just like ‘Page 3’ in the classroom,  the “DEI backlash” and comments about ‘masculine energy’, and cultures that celebrate “aggression”, risk setting a dangerous tone about what’s acceptable in workplace cultures.

It is already a troubling time for women’s safety in the workplace.

– The Financial Conduct Authority‘s ‘non-financial misconduct’ survey shows allegations of bullying, harassment and discrimination in the City have soared by nearly 75% in the past three years. 26% of incidents reported in 2023 relate to bullying and harassment, and 23% to discrimination.

– Women working in London’s FS district are still experiencing”shocking” levels of sexual harassment and bullying, according to the House of Commons Sexism in the City Report. It describes a culture of ‘fear’ where the focus is often to ‘change women’, rather than change the culture to fit women better.

We continue to see waves of high-profile sexual harassment allegations in the City, media, politics and beyond.

My two teenage daughters are getting closer to entering the workplace. I do not want them to enter a world of work where misogyny, exclusion, harassment or discrimination still exist.

Instead, I want for them what I want for ALL women and girls: to thrive in safe, inclusive, purposeful environments – where they can learn, contribute, engage, grow and shape the future.

This year I have been lucky enough to step into ownership of Kin&Co with two incredible women: Emma Woodhead White and Zöe Kretzschmar (she/her).
Alongside our team of passion advocates for inclusion – we are deeply committed to building this culture for our team and our clients.

But for wide scale change for women, all leaders need to stand up against the dangerous cultural headwinds we are seeing today – just like the Girlguiding Advocates.