As the curtains close on International Women’s Month, we still see that achieving gender equality by 2030 faces a formidable obstacle – a staggering $360 billion annual deficit in funding dedicated to gender equality initiatives. This year, under the important theme “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”, the global community is urged to confront this challenge head-on.

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A recent statement from UN Women explains the severity of the situation, identifying five critical areas requiring collective effort to prevent women from being sidelined:

• Investing in women as a human rights imperative: Acknowledging investment in women as foundational for building inclusive societies.
• Combating poverty post-pandemic: The aftermath of COVID-19, coupled with geopolitical conflicts and climate calamities has plunged an additional 75 million people into severe poverty since 2020. Projections suggest that, without prompt action, over 342 million women and girls could live below the poverty line by 2030.
• Implementing gender-responsive financing: With an expected downturn in public spending by 75% of countries by 2025 due to conflicts and soaring fuel and food prices, austerity measures are anticipated to disproportionately affect women, limiting essential public services and social protection.
• Transitioning to a green economy and care society: Current economic models amplify poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation, impacting women and marginalised groups most severely. A shift towards sustainable and inclusive economic models is advocated.
• Empowering feminist changemakers: Despite leading the charge against women’s poverty and inequality, feminist organisations are critically underfunded, receiving only 0.13% of total official development assistance.

Empowering women through inclusive policies and practices

In light of these challenges, Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, acclaimed author and BrainTrust founder, told How To Be Books about the importance of building supportive ecosystems for women. In her book “The Beauty of Success: Start, Grow and Accelerate Your Brand,” she discusses the power of “Character, Allyship, and Finding Your People”. She states, “We must create ecosystems toward winning that build and accelerate growth,” and “be intentional and consciously aware that diverse teams perform better, in particular diverse teams where women are in positions of authority, power and visibility.”

Bracken-Ferguson advocates for creating opportunities for women through community, mentorship, education, and financial support. She exemplifies this commitment through establishing an endowment for Black female students at Purdue University, aiming to ease their college journey.

Further insights come from Madisun Nuismer, co-author of “Think Remarkable” alongside Guy Kawasaki, who stresses the importance of providing women entrepreneurs with access to capital, networks, community support, and educational opportunities. 

Highlighting the significance of workplace diversity and inclusion policies, Nuismer outlines strategies for fostering an environment that not only welcomes but also champions the growth and success of women in business. She told us: “Encouraging awareness and education about the importance of diversity and inclusion for all employees can further enhance this effort.”

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Robynn Storey, author of the forthcoming “Career Confidence: No-BS Stories and Strategies for Finding Your Power”, adds another dimension to the discourse by advocating for workplace adaptations. She says: “I believe the best thing we can offer women in the workplace is flexibility. Women are amazing. They get so much done with few resources, little support, and a ‘to do’ list a mile long.”

Recognising women’s multifaceted roles and contributions, the Storeyline Resumes CEO calls for organisational adjustments that accommodate and empower women, enabling them to excel both professionally and personally. She adds that taking away the negativity surrounding making ‘exceptions’ for women, making it the norm helps to empower women, families and communities. She suggests that the way to normalise this is to create internal women’s groups that allow for mentorship, camaraderie, and the sharing of ideas on balancing work and home.

As International Women’s Month concludes, the message is clear: investing in women is not just a moral and human rights imperative but a critical lever for social and economic progress. The call to action is urgent – to close the financing gap, empower female change-makers, and implement gender-responsive policies that pave the way for a more equitable and prosperous future for all.

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