The women of Fortitude share career insights on International Women’s Day 2026

By Vicky Ward and Lola Holland 

This year’s International Women’s Day theme, ​‘Give to Gain’, highlights that meaningful progress on gender equality only happens when organisations and individuals take responsibility and make intentional efforts to drive positive change.

As one brilliant female client, Claire Croft, put it, perhaps in slightly stronger terms: ​“International Women’s Day should not be a day for brands doing their hallmark self-promoting nonsense, effectively, talking about how important they think gender equality is, whilst doing absolutely nothing to change things.”

Yes, it is a day to celebrate how far we’ve come, but also to ensure that we don’t stand still. 

There is more work to be done to support continued progress. Because when we invest in equality, we strengthen society.

This week as the women of Fortitude Communications we celebrated the meaningful progress that has taken place since the inception of International Women’s Day 115 years ago but also chat about what equality in the workplace looks like to them in real terms.

The sun-dappled garden at the Crazy Bear in Stadhampton, Oxfordshire, provided the ideal backdrop to an afternoon of open conversation, plenty of belly laughs and cross-generational knowledge sharing of our experiences. 

Advice was exchanged from different points in our careers and we explored how our roles as women in communications have shaped us, what feels right, and where there is room for improvement.

The key takeaway from the conversation is that, although our working lives have been shaped by different eras and experiences, our values align in recognising that differences should be celebrated and that our gender should not define us.

The value of mentorship and allyship

We place a high value on mentorship and support networks where women help women to progress in their careers, especially when dealing with traditionally male-dominated industries. 

Having female mentors inside and outside of Fortitude to offer guidance, support and advice has been incredibly important to both of us. Equally important has been developing within a supportive team environment where we feel guided rather than abandoned to navigate things alone.

Flexible working and supportive cultures

Different stages of life demand different levels of support and needs and this requires careful consideration when future-proofing careers for both women and men, who do not want to have to choose between family life and their career.

Fortitude has created an environment where equality in the workplace is not just about good intentions. It carries forward practical policies and work environments that reflect the realities of people’s lives.

The flexible working policies of the business ensure that talented people are not forced to make a choice between their career and other aspects of life. This creates an environment that genuinely enables both women and men to support each other’s careers.

Having open conversations

We also agreed that having open and honest discussions with colleagues and leaders is the best way to solve issues and understand barriers that still exist when it comes to workplace equality. 

It is these ongoing conversations that also help to challenge assumptions, raise awareness of any issues that may still exist, and help us to continue to evolve in creating an inclusive workplace.

The progress for women in society has been huge and International Women’s Day deserves to be celebrated, with the ultimate dream being that we see women and men as equals, defined only by the choices they make and not by their gender.