If you’re a woman in finance, you already know the stats: less than 13% of global investment decision-makers are women. You’ve seen the pay gaps, the barriers to capital, the boardroom imbalances. And yet, every March 8, we get cupcakes instead of change.

Frustration with International Women’s Day (IWD) is at an all-time high. Many, like Janine Garner, are openly questioning its effectiveness:

"Are we actually marching forward, or are we just marching in circles?"

It’s a valid question. The gender pay gap persists, safety remains a daily concern, and women’s rights are still being debated and restricted worldwide. It’s easy to dismiss IWD as performative - another corporate panel, another hashtag - when the real work still feels so far from done.

But here’s the truth: giving up on IWD entirely is not the solution. Change doesn’t happen because of one day, but it can be accelerated by what happens after it.

Two themes, one purpose: Accelerating gender equity

This year, two competing themes are shaping the IWD conversation:

🔹 March Forward (United Nations)
🔹 #AccelerateAction (InternationalWomensDay.com)

At Ethical Invest Group, we see alignment with both. Our mission is to accelerate ethical and sustainable investing from niche to norm - because finance plays a critical but often overlooked role in gender equity.

Finance: The missing piece in the gender equity puzzle

Financial power shapes the world we live in, but women remain largely excluded from it. Despite controlling more wealth than ever, financial systems, products, and advice are still designed primarily with men in mind.

This is where gender lens investing (GLI) comes in. It’s not just about funding women-led companies - it’s about ensuring capital flows into businesses that actively support gender equality through:

✅ Diverse leadership (because we know companies with more women at the table perform better)
✅ Pay equity and workplace policies (so women don’t have to choose between a career and financial security)
✅ Supply chain and procurement standards (to ensure fair treatment of women at every level of business)
✅ Products and services that meet women’s needs (from healthcare to financial inclusion)

Alexandra Brown, founder of Ethical Invest Group and previous head of research and co-founder of Altiorem, has been a leading voice in this movement.

Alexandra developed the expert guide on Advancing gender equality through gender lens investing and has spoken globally on how finance can drive gender equity.

Both of Ethical Invest Group’s courses - Sustainable Investment Advice (for financial advisers) and Sustainable Investing Plan (for individual investors) - integrate gender lens investing as a fundamental strategy. If we truly want to move from niche to norm, capital must be part of the conversation.

Real action: Beyond cupcakes and LinkedIn posts

We need action, not just awareness. So, what does that look like?

1️⃣ Supporting women’s financial empowerment

Women continue to face financial barriers - from the gender pay gap to lower retirement savings. True empowerment means systemic change:

• Better workplace policies (paid parental leave, flexible work)
• Stronger financial education (so women feel confident managing and growing their wealth)
• Investment in women-led solutions (ensuring capital reaches businesses that create real opportunities for women)

2️⃣ Investing with a gender lens

Where money flows, power follows.

Investors - whether individuals or institutions - have the ability to direct capital toward companies that actively promote gender equity. But this isn’t just about corporate leadership.

✅ Investing in education → More women and girls access high-quality learning, improving career and income prospects
✅ Investing in healthcare → Better maternal care and reproductive health lead to stronger economic stability
✅ Investing in financial services for women → Access to microloans and banking services lifts entire communities

These investments aren’t philanthropy. They create long-term economic benefits for businesses, economies, and society as a whole.

3️⃣ Expecting more: Women asking, supporting, and accelerating each other

Peita Diamantidis' initiative this year embodies this mindset: women gathering not just to celebrate, but to actively support each other’s goals.

It’s about expecting more, asking for more, and creating space for each other to achieve it.

Women advocating for each other - whether in meetings, negotiations, leadership, or investment decisions - creates compounding ripple effects. Every time a woman demands more, she helps shift the baseline for the next.

4️⃣ Recognising the men who step up

IWD isn’t just a women’s issue - it’s an everyone issue.

Gender equity cannot be achieved without the active participation of men.

Kane Jackson’s post captures this sentiment perfectly:

"As a man, how you lift women up matters. But it doesn’t matter for sh*t if you aren’t first prepared to listen to them - and actually hear what they say."

Being an ally isn’t about stepping aside - it’s about stepping up.

✔ Hiring and promoting women and non-binary people in male-dominated fields
✔ Calling out bias and double standards in professional settings
✔ Advocating for better workplace policies that are inclusive and intersectional
✔ Mentoring and sponsoring female, non-binary, and marginalised colleagues

Real allyship means being uncomfortable. It means listening, learning, and taking action - because until men fully commit to this cause, we will keep marching in circles instead of forward.

Accelerating gender equity through investing

Finance wields significant power - and how we direct capital will determine whether we accelerate gender equity or stagnate. 

This International Women’s Day, let’s move beyond symbolic gestures to substantive change. Because while it’s fair to be frustrated with performative action, dismissing IWD entirely risks losing the momentum, visibility, and progress it has helped build. Instead of throwing it out, let’s reshape it - using our voices, our influence, and our investments to drive real impact.

🔹 If you’re an individual investor → Look at how your money supports (or undermines) gender equity
🔹 If you’re a financial adviser → Integrate gender lens investing into your client conversations
🔹 If you’re in finance → Push for better products and services that improve access to women and non-binary people
🔹 If you’re in business → Advocate for equitable hiring, pay transparency, and leadership opportunities

👉 Want to take action? Learn more about how to integrate gender lens investing with Altiorem's expert guide: Advancing gender equality through gender lens investing.

And if you'd like help putting this into action, consider our courses Sustainable Investment Advice (for financial advisers) and Sustainable Investing Plan (for individual investors).

Because March Forward and #AccelerateAction must be more than words - they must translate into real social, financial, and impactful advancements for women.

The progress of women is progress for all. Now, let’s make it happen.

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