International Women’s Day: Balancing the Scales in Advertising and Marketing

International Women’s Day 2026, themed “Balance the Scales”, is a reminder that as continued innovation reshapes marketing and advertising, equal representation in the rooms where decisions are made has never mattered more.

Across marketing, advertising, technology, legal and loyalty, women in leadership reflect on the structural barriers that persist and the responsibility leaders carry to create systems where women have influence.

All these leaders echo the same sentiment that equitable innovation does not happen by accident. It is built intentionally through sponsorship, measurable goals, inclusive product design, flexible work structures and the courage to challenge outdated norms.

Kathy Lu, Account Manager, Client Services, Nexxen

International Women’s Day is important to celebrate no matter what industry we are in, it fosters a culture of inclusion, empowering women to speak up and advocate for themselves

It becomes most poignant in the tech and ad-tech industry, as we are helping to shape the future world we live in. To programmatic media easing the process to selling and buying digital ad spaces, to tools like Meta AI, Galaxy AI ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Apple Intelligence, Claude (and so on and so forth) helping us write better emails and drive better outcomes, advocating for women’s voice amongst the madness is more important than ever.

Equity in innovation means designing systems with fairness, and ensuring AI reflects the diversity and values of the society it serves, where “all are equal before the law”.

I want to look into the future career progression and know I have the rights to equal access, so that women like me can contribute meaningfully without having to justify our presence at every step. 

AI and Marketing Career Pathways

Pip Stocks, Founder of the Startup Muse

It’s also important to look at balancing the scales in women’s careers as a whole in the age of AI. AI is removing many traditional entry-level jobs especially the repetitive, process-driven roles that used to be a young person’s way in. Pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone.

The real question is whether we respond with fear or redesign. We need to stop preparing young women for ladder-based careers and start preparing them to build, direct, and collaborate with AI.

The future belongs to those who can think critically, create value, and use intelligent systems as leverage, not those waiting for permission to enter through old doors.

Diversity Fuels Innovation

Georgina Ryan, Senior Sales Manager, Nexxen

Whilst I do believe the gender representation gaps are closing, and women are entering the industry in greater numbers, some long-standing cultural and structural challenges remain.

It would be remiss not to acknowledge the disproportionate challenges the gender diverse

community may face on International Women’s Day and the representation of First Nations women in the industry.

International Women’s Day is important to celebrate in the media, marketing and advertising industry as a whole, as it is imperative that women are represented in an industry which thrives on diverse perspectives.

Gender-diverse teams can challenge assumptions and design campaigns that resonate with broader audiences. Many women still don’t see obvious entry points into programmatic, data engineering, or platform roles. Highlighting female leaders during IWD makes success visible, which helps normalise women in technical and commercial leadership positions, which is a powerful signal to the next generation.

Collaboration vs Compliance

Fabrizia Roberto, Fractional CMO, Founder, www.fabriziaroberto.com

Women are often encouraged to be collaborative and consensus-driven, until that collaboration turns into compliance. When women challenge assumptions or hold a firm line, they’re more likely to be labelled “difficult” or “uncollaborative”, rather than decisive.

I’ve experienced this firsthand: being seen as collaborative when I agree and uncollaborative when I don’t – in particular when refusing to say “yes” simply to protect someone else’s ego. That’s not collaboration; that’s appeasement. And it’s a standard rarely applied evenly across genders.

International Women’s Day creates space to name these dynamics out loud and to reset expectations. If marketing and tech truly want better outcomes – better products, stronger brands, more sustainable growth – then they need leaders who can challenge thinking, place smart bets and act with conviction.

Reflecting on Diversity and Leadership in Adtech

Paige Gordon, Manager, International Go to Market, Nexxen

Even in 2026, the higher you go up the organisational ladder in Australia, the more men you tend to see in the C-suite. Currently, around 70–80% of executive leadership and CEO pipeline roles in ASX 300 companies are still held by men, and only a small handful of CEOs at Australia’s largest companies are women (Workplace Gender Equality Agency data). This highlights the ongoing imbalance at this level of organisations.

That’s what makes IWD feel relevant to me. It’s less about celebration for celebration’s sake, and more about taking a clear-eyed look at where things are genuinely working and where they still aren’t. Adtech isn’t short on talented women; if anything, we’re well represented across day-to-day roles. But senior leadership still doesn’t reflect that reality. International Women’s Day is a moment to call out that disconnect, recognise the women already doing the work, and question why progression into executive roles continues to lag behind.

Innovation as an Amplifier of Human Judgment

Aparna Watal, Partner at Halfords IP

I believe innovation should amplify human judgment, creativity and fairness rather than replace it. For example, in legal practice, AI tools can reduce administrative burden and improve efficiency, but only if we build them with ethical guardrails and a diverse dataset. Otherwise they risk entrenching existing inequities.

Equitable innovation means designing systems that consider diverse perspectives, mitigate bias, and create opportunities for under-represented groups to lead, create and thrive. This is true whether you are helping a small business protect its brand, or shaping how new technologies are governed.

How to Accelerate Change

Bel Lloyd, Customer Success Lead, Amperity

When it comes to ‘balancing the scales,’ we need to set measurable goals for gender balance, not just in entry-level roles, but in leadership and technical decision-making positions. We also need to Invest in bias awareness and inclusive leadership training so teams understand how to build and nurture truly inclusive environments. This will further encourage businesses and leaders to commit to real action, not just discussion, from inclusive hiring and mentorship programs to addressing bias in how teams and tools are built.

Ultimately, real change happens when organisations commit to clear, actionable strategies, not just good intentions. And when women support each other to grow, lead and innovate together.

Change Needs Proactive Energy

Caitlin Stephens, Chief of Staff APAC, Eagle Eye

Change requires an intentional and proactive approach to ensure women receive access to the same opportunities. Who gets recommended for the stretch assignment? Who gets introduced to the investor? Who gets amplified in a meeting?

One of the most powerful tools I have in leadership is the ability to provide sponsorship, to be someone who highlights and amplifies the talents of women based on their merits and unique perspectives and to back this up with policies, and structures within organisations that aim to remove some of the traditional barriers that can hold them back. Think parental leave, flexibility, Women’s ERGs and our very own “Purple Women” initiative at Eagle Eye, mentorship and leadership development.

A Promising Future

Sarah Richardson, Founder and Director at Australian Loyalty Association

For me, International Women’s Day is a promise for a future where every woman and girl is heard, seen and valued.

A lot has changed in loyalty because women have had a seat at the table. Loyalty used to be much simpler. When I started, mobile phones were hardly in operation. Now it’s about understanding the complex customer journey, commercial modelling, relevance, data, personalisation, emotional connection and AI.

Real, tangible change comes from backing women to trust their judgement, giving them space to shine, and removing systemic barriers. Our business is like a rollercoaster. Hang on tight or jump off. I choose to hang on to see the next chapter of this wonderful journey and to work with the exceptional women and people on our team.

Geoff Main, Marketing Director/Founder at Passionberry Marketing

In marketing, technology and business, 2026 International Women’s Day is not the opportunity for a branding exercise. It poses a systems question.

The logic is straightforward. Fairer systems create better performance. Better performance creates stronger economies. Stronger economies create broader opportunity. And, broader opportunity advances society – for everyone in it.

As Emma Watson put it: “Gender equality is your issue too.” If that’s true, then this isn’t just about intent. It’s about how we hire, source, fund and build.

It’s time we all spoke up about the key issues raised around International Women’s Day, and we had more men contribute to the narrative. Gender Equity is more than a one day social marketing or PR campaign, It is a long term cultural shift that is critical if we want to build progressive systems that in the corporate world, ultimately also build more valuable companies.

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