IWD 2026 is a Reminder to Keep Listening, Keep Measuring and Keep Holding Ourselves Accountable

This piece is by Sarah Fallows, Head of People and Culture, SSP.

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to pause and reflect on how far we’ve come but also how far we still have to go to see real movement on gender balance. Insurance is built on evidence and accountability. We track performance, assess risk and test assumptions. Inclusion deserves the same level of rigour. We must recognise that different perspectives strengthen judgement, sharpen risk assessment and build more resilient organisations — qualities our industry needs more than ever.

The challenge starts earlier than many assume. Research we conducted into how schoolchildren perceive insurance careers revealed that boys were much more likely than girls to express interest in working in the sector. That tells us something important: awareness and aspiration gaps begin well before the recruitment stage. If we want to change outcomes, we need to change exposure. Working with schools, as we do at SSP, is one way to broaden that pipeline and show young people — particularly girls — that insurance offers varied and meaningful career paths.

Inside organisations, the shift happens when diversity and inclusion are treated as part of core strategy rather than an add-on. At SSP, that has meant creating practical structures that encourage open communication and give people confidence that their voices will be heard. Our DEIB maturity model has helped us move from one-off initiatives to something more embedded and measurable.

Too often, well-intentioned assumptions are made about what women need at work. The better approach is simpler: ask, listen and act. Honest conversations about progression, visibility, confidence and belonging only work when people feel safe to speak openly — and when leadership demonstrates that those conversations will lead somewhere meaningful.

Our employee forums have helped to create that space. Whether through wellbeing, cultural connection or community engagement, these groups provide platforms where experiences can be shared and understood. They are not gender-exclusive, but they surface issues that frequently affect women and help keep the conversation grounded in real experience.

Storytelling plays a part too. When women see their journeys reflected in internal communications and leadership discussions, it challenges outdated ideas about who fits into technical or senior roles.

We also measure what we’re doing and we’re transparent about it. Participation, engagement and progression data tell us whether our efforts are making a difference. If inclusion is important, it should be tracked and reported with the same discipline as any other business priority.
Ultimately, this can’t sit with HR alone. It requires visible leadership and consistent reinforcement. Inclusion becomes credible when it is woven into business planning, talent decisions and everyday behaviours.

Let’s use this International Women’s Day 2026 as reminder that if we keep listening, keep measuring and keep holding ourselves accountable, we can move closer to an insurance sector where opportunity is genuinely open — and where more women are supported to lead and succeed.