Iwd: How inclusive tech workplaces can empower more women now
SheCanCode led a global push on iwd, urging its tech community to embrace the Give to Gain theme and lift women through mentorship and visible sponsorship. The invitation came on International Women’s Day from a collaborative tech community that collected testimonies from women and male allies about generosity, representation and career support. Industry voices from HR leaders and senior executives framed the ask as a practical blueprint for recruitment, development and culture change.
Iwd community voices
SheCanCode set the tone by saying Give to Gain “emphasises the power of reciprocity and support. ” The community published a string of testimonies illustrating how mentorship, open doors and generosity helped launch and sustain careers. Jean Lawrence, Vice President, Global ABM & Field Marketing, Nokia, said, “A senior executive took a chance on hiring me… She generously mentored me and helped kick start a career that has been deeply rewarding. ” Fran Woodward, Global Managing Director, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, added, “Giving isn’t just generous, it’s strategic. When we give women access to education, opportunity and visible role models, everyone gains. “
The Iwd conversation collected reflections from diverse backgrounds and ages on why visibility and allyship matter. Members argued that mentoring and transparent career conversations create pathways into leadership and that giving time and expertise is an investment in a stronger talent pool. These community inputs underscore the simple premise repeated across the testimonies: generosity accelerates opportunity and builds resilience within tech networks.
What leaders say
Industry leaders in the provided context connected community momentum to workplace policies. An HR professional in Orange Business Australia and New Zealand described sustained efforts to build workplaces where everyone feels respected, valued and enabled to grow, noting that inclusive hiring, leadership clarity and targeted programmes are part of the response. The HR perspective highlighted persistent obstacles: bias against new mothers, character attacks on women in technical roles and other prejudices that still shape experience and opportunity.
Wendy Koh, vice president and general manager Asia Pacific, Hitachi Vantara, reflected on career development and sponsorship as essential to cultivating leaders. She recalled a senior leader who invested time and trust in her transition to regional responsibility and framed that kind of sponsorship as a multiplier for organisational capability. The company-level goal cited in the context — a target of 30% female people leaders by 2030 — was presented as an example of tying development to measurable targets.
Community voices repeated a consistent prescription: give time, share knowledge, open doors. Jemma Ashley, AVP Strategy, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, said mentorship had been a defining force; Sheila Flavell CBE, COO, FDM Group, urged making mentoring and transparent career talks the norm; Pauline Taylor, VP of People, HowNow, called for everyone to give time and advocacy so that progress is systemic, not episodic.
What’s next
Practically, the framework the community and leaders outlined points to three visible next moves: expand mentorship and sponsorship networks, embed inclusive hiring and development practices, and set measurable leadership targets that hold organisations accountable. Programmes named in the context, like the Hello Women initiative launched in 2020, were cited as examples of employer-driven action to attract and accelerate women in tech.
Momentum from iwd and the Give to Gain campaign is positioned as both cultural and operational: cultural through everyday acts of giving time and advocacy, operational through recruitment pipelines, leadership targets and targeted development. Expect community campaigning and corporate programmes to remain the primary levers highlighted as organisations work to convert goodwill into measurable change.
