Give to Gain: Empower Women, Uphold Rights, Justice and Action

Yashna Garg, Founder, Yugap wellness and CMO, Zeon Lifesciences

‘Give to Gain’ is a powerful reminder that progress rarely comes from competition alone — it grows from contribution. When women share knowledge, mentor others, and create opportunities, they strengthen not just individuals but entire ecosystems. In workplaces and communities alike, giving time, support and perspective often leads to stronger teams, better decisions and more inclusive growth. For many women leaders, success is not defined only by personal milestones but by how many others rise alongside them. The more we invest in collective progress, the more resilient and equitable our systems become. In that sense, giving is not a sacrifice — it is a strategy for sustainable growth. 

Gayathri Subramanian, VP- People and Culture (HR) at LeadSquared

International Women’s Day is a reminder that progress in the workplace is not just about increasing participation, but about enabling women to step into meaningful leadership roles. Real change happens when organizations move beyond intent and build transparent systems for hiring, performance evaluation, and career progression so that talent is recognized purely on merit and impact. At LeadSquared, we are focused on creating structured growth pathways and stronger mentorship and sponsorship opportunities to ensure that women have the visibility and support needed to grow into leadership roles as the company scales. In a fast-changing, AI-driven business environment, organizations that build inclusive and merit-based workplaces will be far better positioned to drive innovation, resilience, and long-term value.

Jaya Virwani, Chief Wellbeing Officer and DE&I Leader at EY GDS

As AI and emerging technologies rapidly reshape industries, women leaders are helping guide this transformation with empathy, clarity and a deep sense of responsibility. At EY GDS, we are increasing the number of women in technology roles and strengthening the STEM pipeline through focused hiring, learning pathways and mentorship. We are also investing heavily in AI literacy for all our people so they can participate confidently in the digital future. Our approach to inclusion is broad and intersectional, but we apply a strong gender lens because real and sustainable progress needs deliberate action. In the coming years, I believe we will see more women shaping responsible AI, leading digital programs and influencing how technology evolves to serve society fairly. When women thrive in tech, innovation moves forward for everyone. 

Meghna Agarwal, Co-founder, IndiQube

As women entrepreneurs in India, we are operating in an ecosystem that is still structurally uneven. One of the most visible challenges continues to be access to capital. Data consistently shows that only a very small fraction of venture funding flows to women-led startups. When such a funding gap exists at the top of the funnel, it inevitably compounds over time, limiting scale, slowing momentum, and often forcing women founders to build with far fewer resources than their male counterparts.

However, the challenge is not limited to capital alone. There are also social expectations that shape how women participate in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Many women are balancing professional ambitions alongside significant responsibilities at home. This often means fewer opportunities to participate in informal networks and fewer chances to build the kind of social capital that many businesses quietly rely on.

When you look at a sector like real estate, these dynamics become even more pronounced. Real estate has historically been relationship-driven, capital-intensive, and deeply influenced by legacy networks. For many women, especially those entering the sector without industry exposure, simply gaining access to these networks can be a challenge in itself.

That said, the industry is gradually evolving. What I have personally found is that credibility in this sector ultimately comes down to execution. When you consistently deliver, whether it is building high-quality spaces, ensuring operational excellence, or creating value for clients, your work begins to speak louder than perceptions. Over time, results build trust, and trust opens doors that were previously closed.

With the right combination of resilience, discipline, and long-term vision, it is absolutely possible to build something enduring in any sector, not just real estate.

Vandana Chimanpure, Chief Human Resources Officer

The narrative around women in high-impact sectors and professional leadership is changing. Over the last five years, we’ve seen a significant narrowing of the gender gap in domains once traditionally viewed as male-dominated, particularly in data-heavy and product-led functions. The focus for companies now must move beyond mere recruitment toward creating supportive, growth-oriented workplaces. For those who are already doing this, the impact is tangible in long-term retention. When you provide the right environment, women can lead and thrive in the most critical areas of business and choose to build their long-term professional legacies with you.

Dr. Gayathri Vasudevan, Chief Impact Officer, Sambhav Foundation

Women everywhere are negotiating work, care, safety, and aspiration within systems that are still evolving to integrate these realities. Now imagine navigating those same systems while also being financially vulnerable, informally employed, or living with a disability. The barriers multiply, access to education narrows, mobility becomes restricted, digital systems feel distant, and entry into formal markets remains elusive.

At a workforce level, women face limited access to skilling, restricted mobility, unsafe work environments, and exclusion from formal value chains. At home, stigma, financial illiteracy, limited control over income, and the disproportionate burden of caregiving quietly shape their choices. At a community level, opportunities are often inadequate, and economic systems frequently assume male mobility, asset ownership, and unrestricted time, effectively designing women out of upward mobility.

If we want meaningful progress, we must invest in structural access, including accessible skilling, safe hostels and workplaces, pathways into gig and part-time roles, and mechanisms that enable safe migration and entry into male-dominated sectors. But skilling alone is insufficient. Capacity building must work in tandem. For example, including health security, economic literacy, digital confidence, and the ability to make informed choices about modes of work will enable women to sustain employment, negotiate fairer terms of work, and make upward mobility a deliberate choice rather than a fragile opportunity.

Equally important is recognising the economic potential within the clusters and communities where women already live and work. When we strengthen local production ecosystems and enable women to tap into existing demand-supply patterns around them, agency becomes tangible. Through Sambhav’s cluster-based livelihood interventions, we have seen that when skilling, capacity building, and market integration are designed together, outcomes are measurable: incomes stabilise, women transition into structured value chains, and decision-making power shifts within households.

The true progress of a community is reflected in whether women at its margins can participate in, shape its economic growth, and eventually move toward decision-making thresholds - all of this without having to choose between caregiving and opportunity.

Rakhi Pal, Co-Founder & COO of EventBeep

True progress happens when opportunity is not limited to those with the right networks or advantages. In education and recruitment today, there is a growing focus on helping young women build real career confidence through mentorship, skill development, and practical exposure to industry. When women are supported with the right tools, training, and opportunities to grow, they step into the workforce with stronger voices and fresh perspectives. That is when we truly begin to see leadership and innovation expand in meaningful ways.

Piyali Chatterjee Konar, Executive Vice President, Head – Customer Experience /UX/B2B at Hansa Research Group Private Limited

 Industries in 2026 are embracing the Women’s Day theme ‘Rights. Justice. Action’ as a clear guide for change. Rights mean giving women equal pay, safe workplaces, and fair chances to grow. Justice is about removing bias in hiring, promotions, and leadership roles. Action is the step that turns promises into reality—companies are starting mentorship programs, setting diversity goals, and making leaders accountable. This theme reminds businesses that equality is not just a policy but a practice. By acting now, industries can create workplaces where women feel valued, respected, and empowered to drive innovation and success. 

Chitralekha Patil, Founder & Mentor Trustee, Centre For Transforming India (CFTI)

The phrase 'Rights, Justice, Action' is a call to ensure that women and girls receive rights, rights are protected, justice is accessible, and action provides real opportunities. Particularly in rural areas, where there are barriers to education, mobility, and economic opportunity. At CFTI we believe that if we empower girls through education and engage them in their communities, we will have long-lasting benefits. Girls' access to education supports them in changing their own and their family's futures. It can serve as a catalyst for creating healthier, more inclusive communities. 

Arthi Ramalingam, Founder & CEO, Eternz

Women’s empowerment, to me, is about ownership, of our choices, our ambitions, and our narratives. As women, we’re often taught to seek validation, but true power lies in defining success on our own terms. Building Eternz has shown me that when women are given access, opportunity, and trust, they don’t just participate, they lead and transform industries. This Women’s Day, I hope we move beyond celebration and focus on creating systems that enable more women to build, innovate, and rise without limitations.