Balancing the scales for women’s leadership in tech
For me, these themes recognise that women and girls don't need the same things at the same time and that's especially true in tech. Rights and justice for girls often mean access: being encouraged into adtech/tech early, seeing role models, and believing there's a place for them in the industry at all.
For women already in tech, those same principles show up differently – in career progression, pay equity, and having a genuine voice in decision-making. What I needed as a coordinator is very different to what I need now, and the same applies as you move into senior leadership.
"Balance the Scales" speaks to that nuance. It's about removing structural barriers at every stage, so women aren't just entering the industry, but staying, progressing and leading it.
A moment to celebrate beyond the tech sector
International Women's Day isn't just a tech or ad tech thing. It's important to celebrate in every sector because it's a moment to stop and reflect on progress, the women in your life, and the ongoing gaps and challenges that are still present today.
I'm lucky that in the teams and companies I've worked in, a large proportion of the people I collaborate with are women, and in my day-to-day roles the gender balance feels closer to even. But when you step back and look at leadership across the broader corporate landscape, the reality is quite different.
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.
The shifting landscape
If you compare where we are now to when I was at school, or even when I first started my career, there's no doubt the landscape has shifted. But even as the surface numbers improve, I still think there are deeply embedded mindset and bias issues that not everyone feels comfortable talking about openly. One of the most uncomfortable – and often avoided – topics is the elephant in the room for many women: the question of family and leadership, particularly when it comes to having children.
There's a persistent narrative that women are expected to somehow 'do it all' be fully committed to leadership, career progression and high performance, while also managing a disproportionate share of caregiving responsibilities. Even when supportive policies exist on paper, the unspoken expectations around availability, travel, or stepping up during crunch times can subtly disadvantage women who want both a family and a leadership path.
What creates real, tangible change?
Real, tangible change won't come from platitudes, it comes from structural shifts. That means embedding genuinely flexible and equitable work practices, setting measurable goals around leadership representation (not just hiring, but retention and promotion), and creating environments where different leadership styles are not just accepted, but actively valued. It also means pairing mentorship with sponsorship: women need allies who advocate for them in rooms they're not in, not just celebrate them once they've already made it through the door.