International Women’s Day: Moving tech beyond cultural celebration to accountability in action

Co-authored by Jenni Matthews – Retail Insights Analyst – at MRI Software, and Chloe Neslen – Director for Talent Management (EMEA) – at MRI Software.

International Women’s Day is both a moment of recognition and accountability, as is Women’s History Month itself. Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in technology, with just 28.2% of the global workforce and 22% in Europe, according to The Chartered Institute for IT. That gap is not only inequitable, it limits innovation and competitiveness.

Studies show that companies with diverse leadership teams outperform their peers, innovate more effectively and foster stronger workplace cultures. In a talent-constrained market, widening leadership access is not just equitable; it is a competitive necessity.

Women driving innovation in retail and technology

The retail and property technology sectors continue to transform rapidly. AI-driven analytics, automation, data intelligence and evolving consumer behaviours are reshaping how organisations operate and compete.

Women across retail and tech are playing a critical role in driving this change; leading digital transformation programmes, championing customer-centric innovation and strengthening governance around responsible AI and data use. In retail especially, where understanding human behaviour is fundamental, diverse leadership helps ensure that solutions reflect the communities and customers they serve.

Innovation is rarely born from uniformity. It thrives on challenge, perspective and lived experience.

When women step into leadership roles, whether in product development, engineering, customer strategy or executive decision-making, they bring not only technical expertise but also alternative viewpoints that can reshape how organisations approach growth and impact.

Yet while progress is real, access and opportunity remain uneven.

The gap isn’t just about entry, it’s about advancement

In many organisations, the conversation around gender diversity focuses on recruitment. While inclusive hiring is critical, it is only one piece of the equation. The bigger challenge often lies in progression, visibility and confidence.

Too many talented women leave the technology sector mid-career due to a lack of sponsorship, mentorship, flexible pathways or psychological safety. Others remain in roles below their potential because they are less likely to self-advocate for stretch assignments or leadership opportunities.

Creating equitable opportunity means recognising that equal treatment may not necessarily always result in equal outcomes. It requires intentional support structures.

At MRI Software, while the broader sector continues to reflect underrepresentation, we are encouraged that our gender representation across the UK, UAE and Ireland sits meaningfully above both global and European technology benchmarks.

Within our teams across the UK, UAE and Ireland, 32% of employees are female, and 68% are male, highlighting both positive progress and the continued need to create clear and equitable pathways into leadership. In South Africa, the balance is stronger still, reflecting positive strides across the EMEA region overall.

Measurement matters, but what we do with it, and how leadership is held accountable through talent and succession decisions, matters more.

What meaningful action looks like all year round

If organisations want to close the gender gap in technology, inclusion should not sit on the sidelines of strategy. It must be embedded into leadership pipelines, succession planning and performance metrics. Sustainable progress comes from structural change, not seasonal campaigns.

At MRI Software, we focus on making inclusive leadership a strategic and operational imperative, building these expectations into succession planning, talent reviews and performance calibration processes to ensure diverse talent is actively considered and developed.

There are several practical steps that can contribute to making a tangible difference:

1. Mentorship with intent

Mentorship is powerful, but sponsorship can be transformative. Identifying high-potential female talent early and actively advocating for them in rooms where decisions are made accelerates progression. Leaders must not only offer advice but open doors.

At MRI Software, this principle led to the revival of its global mentorship programme in 2025. What began as a pilot initiative quickly became a catalyst for broader cultural impact. Launched in partnership with our Women & Allies employee resource group, the programme was designed to provide one-to-one development opportunities for all MRI employees, regardless of race, gender or seniority. While the programme is open to everyone, it is intentionally leveraged to expand access to networks, sponsorship and stretch opportunities for women and other underrepresented talent, helping to accelerate equitable career progression.

The response exceeded expectations. Nearly 250 employees applied globally, resulting in more than 100 mentorship pairings across regions. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with participants describing the experience as a confidence builder, a catalyst for career growth and a powerful connector across the many regions we operate in.

One story in particular stands out from that feedback. A mentee aspired to move into data analysis, so they worked closely with their mentor to identify upskilling opportunities and set clear development goals. When a role opened within the MRI Agora team, they applied and secured the business analyst position. For both mentor and mentee, it was proof that structured support and advocacy can turn ambition into tangible progression.

Mentorship does not simply transfer knowledge. It builds confidence, visibility and belief; all essential components in narrowing the leadership gap.

2. Leadership development that builds visibility

Targeted leadership programmes ensure women gain access to strategic projects and decision-making forums. At MRI, initiatives such our LEO leadership development programme are designed to equip individuals with the skills, confidence and exposure needed to step into influential roles.

3. Creating psychological safety

An inclusive culture requires more than policy. It demands an environment where women feel safe to voice ideas, challenge assumptions and take risks without fear of judgement. Leaders set this tone. When vulnerability and openness are modelled at the top, participation broadens across teams.

4. Normalising flexibility as a core operating model

Career trajectories are rarely linear. Offering flexibility, whether through hybrid working, career breaks, or alternative progression routes, can help retain experienced talent who might otherwise leave the sector.

Models that promote flexibility as standard business practice, such as MRI’s Flex at MRI scheme, ensures employees can work in ways that support both performance and personal sustainability, rather than positioning flexibility as an exception or accommodation.

In today’s world flexibility needs to be perceived as a strategic advantage, not a nice to have.

5. Measuring progress transparently

Tracking representation, pay equity, hiring slates and promotion velocity keeps organisations accountable. Transparency builds trust and demonstrates that diversity goals are embedded within strategy, not simply marketing.

Empowerment is cultural, not individual

For decades, the conversation around gender equality in leadership has centred on the idea of the “glass ceiling”, otherwise known as an invisible barrier preventing women from rising beyond a certain level, regardless of talent or performance. In technology, that ceiling has certainly cracked but not disappeared completely.

The truth is, many of today’s barriers are structural rather than visible: limited sponsorship, narrower networks, unconscious bias in promotion decisions and performance calibration, or cultures that unconsciously reward traditionally male leadership styles. These are not ceilings that can be shattered by determination alone. They require organisations to redesign the room itself. Empowerment, therefore, must be cultural.

At the same time, we cannot ignore the confidence gap that still influences progression patterns. Empowerment also involves building confidence in navigating ambiguity. Technology evolves rapidly; perfection is rarely the standard. Encouraging women to apply for roles even if they meet 70% of the criteria, rather than waiting for 100% alignment, can materially shift growth timelines.

When women are given stretch opportunities, visible sponsorship and psychological safety, they are more likely to step forward. When women see others thriving in senior engineering roles, shaping AI strategy or leading commercial divisions, aspiration becomes tangible rather than theoretical.

True empowerment happens when women are not just invited into the room, but when the structures, expectations and pathways within it allow them to lead authentically and when they feel confident enough to take the seat at the table.

Shaping change beyond a single day

Reflecting on the strides toward gender equality in leadership and entrepreneurship, it is clear we have moved forward, but the progress is uneven.

We are seeing more female founders, women in board roles, and recognition of inclusive leadership as a commercial imperative. Younger generations entering the workforce expect equity as standard, not aspiration.

International Women’s Day typically serves as a checkpoint – a reminder to assess whether initiatives are delivering measurable outcomes. Are women progressing at the same rate as their male peers? Are leadership pipelines truly diverse? Are voices being heard at the highest levels of decision-making?

Women across industries are not waiting for permission to shape change. They are leading transformation programmes, founding start-ups, driving AI governance and redefining the customer experience. The question is not whether women can lead in tech, it’s whether organisations are fully unlocking that potential.

Meaningful action goes beyond celebration. It involves sustained mentorship, visible sponsorship, inclusive hiring, leadership development and cultural accountability. For executive leaders, the mandate is clear: gender equity is not a culture initiative; it is a leadership responsibility.

When we align our efforts with global benchmarks and hold ourselves to measurable standards, we move from aspiration to impact. International Women’s Day reminds us of how far we’ve come. The work that follows determines how far we go.

Also published in London Daily News.