Empowering companies to Give to Gain

Emma Macan Roberts, Vice President, Lean In

 IWD 2026

This International Women’s Day, Lean In is proud to join forces with IWD to empower companies to Give to Gain.

This year comes at a pivotal moment. Across workplaces, women continue to face systemic bias and barriers that limit opportunity.

Research shows women are more likely than men to be unfairly judged or challenged, leading to missed opportunities and lower performance ratings – both of which slow career advancement.

There has been progress. Women now hold 29% of C-suite roles, up from 17% in 2017. But progress is fragile.

Our 2025 Women in the Workplace report finds that only about half of companies now prioritize women’s advancement – and commitment is even weaker for women of color. When support declines, so does momentum.

For the first time, women report less interest in advancing than men. But this is not about ambition. It’s about support. When women receive the same sponsorship, advocacy, and stretch opportunities as men, the ambition gap disappears. Supporting women is not just the right thing to do – it strengthens business outcomes too.

That’s where Lean In comes in. Our free programs help you close that support gap by offering women the leadership development and peer mentorship they need to advance and all employees tools to improve the culture of work.

Lean In Circles create a space for employees to come together to learn new skills, give and get advice, and encourage each other to take action. We provide step-by-step guides to help structure meetings, facilitate group discussion, and keep engagement high. 98% percent of women in Circles say the experience led to a positive change at work.

While 50 Ways to Fight Bias equips employees to identify and interrupt the biases women can experience at work. The program consists of two parts: a short video that explains the five major types of bias and a card activity where small groups of participants discuss specific examples of bias, brainstorm solutions together and learn research-backed recommendations for what to do.

International Women’s Day serves as a powerful reminder that the fight for equality for all women is far from over.

By bringing 50 Ways to Fight Bias or Lean In Circles to your company, you can make a real impact in advancing women and creating a more equitable workplace for all employees.