To celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) 2026 on Sunday, 8 March, 4 colleagues in leadership roles spanning technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and data reflect on this year's theme: 'Give to gain'.
They share how generosity with time, resources and knowledge, including everyday actions, have helped them advance their careers in digital, and how their own experiences equip them (and can enable others!) to contribute meaningfully to gender diversity and inclusion in their teams and the wider Digital and Data Profession.
Hattie Kennedy, Chief Data Officer
Advocating for users on the ground, including empowering women and girls who lacked equal access to learning with digital skills, influenced my path into digital government and still shapes my approach to user needs.
My 6-year journey at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has been profoundly shaped by supportive line managers who have given me opportunities, challenged me, encouraged me to feel more confident, use my voice and feel comfortable at sharing my knowledge and experience. This support and mentoring have been one of the most valuable things I've received.
In my current role, being part of a senior leadership team, headed by our Chief Digital and Information Officer Gill Stewart, that has got such gender parity, and to see the way in which this informs and shapes our discussions and our work, has been a positive experience.
As a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field, you cannot help but be aware of people’s potential feelings and anxieties, like for example imposter syndrome. So, I try to keep an eye out for it, listen attentively and help people in my team in the same way that I've been helped. Our team is more diverse than some I've worked in in the past, but we can always do better and should do better to make our teams reflect the world around us.
I recently mentored students at a secondary school, discussing career options, aspirations and the non-traditional career pathways available. Fundamentally, everything begins with instilling confidence in young people that careers are open to them irrespective of their gender or background.
Kat Sexton, Deputy Director for Local AI
As the eldest of 3 daughters in a military family, we were told "girls can do anything" and encouraged to pursue STEM. At school, classmates often asked me for computer help, which built my confidence early on.
After university, I worked in a small local government IT team, surrounded by supportive colleagues, who were content for me to challenge the status quo and try new things. I was even promoted when pregnant with my daughter!
From there, every role and team I’ve been in have helped me grow. I'm fortunate to have never felt held back because of my gender, and because of that, I feel a responsibility to give back.
I do this in very deliberate ways. I coach women in my teams, especially when they underestimate their abilities (as many of us do). I work hard to build inclusive, fun and productive environments, where psychological safety isn't a buzzword but a daily practice. I value empathy, openness and humility in leadership and try to be consistent and fair in my expectations around attitude, behaviour and ethic.
One persistent barrier I still see is outdated thinking about leadership: the idea that leaders must ‘know everything’ and have all the answers. In reality, the pace of change, especially in digital and AI, demands curiosity, not certainty.
My call to action this IWD is simple: Ditch the ego. Ask better questions, listen, create safe spaces for challenge, and value diverse perspectives. That’s where the real gains come from for women, for teams, and for public service as a whole.
Kat Stevens, Lead Developer, Homes for Ukraine
Having spent over 2 decades in software engineering, an industry still heavily male-dominated, I've developed both a healthy dose of cynicism and awareness on how to foster a more diverse and inclusive workplace, including recognising the power of everyday actions.
Joining government 9 years ago, first at the Government Digital Service (GDS), then MHCLG in 2025, made a difference: Collaborating with supportive colleagues, whose genuine expertise was matched by empathetic communication skills (an ideal combination) accelerated my learning, in addition to active communities and volunteer-run networks. At GDS, I ran the Women’s Network’s mentoring scheme, and I’m now a mentor on the cross-government mentoring scheme Catapult, which I find really rewarding.
Our flexible working practices are brilliant but it's also the less tangible things that stand out, like the safety net in place around you if a challenge arises. In my experience, this structural support wasn’t always a given in the private tech sector.
I was asked what changed when I moved from a junior to a leader role: the most noticeable change was validation. Tech women must often work much harder to gain equivalent recognition, feeling like you’re doing the job already when you get the promotion.
What’s also changed is that I’m highly attuned to the unspoken challenges women face in my field, and this awareness informs how I lead my team. It's my responsibility to give feedback, look out for opportunities, support and mentor them. There are only so many hours in the day but it’s worth it in the long run. Investing in people, especially early in their careers, means we're more likely to retain them. Given the smaller pool of women developers, we need to hang on to them!
Lou Welham, Head of Innovation, Digital Planning
Through various formal mentorship programmes, and with the support of generous mentors from Homes England and the development sector, I gained confidence during a period of uncertainty and reset for me professionally. Their guidance, time and encouragement gave me the reassurance I needed to take the next step and shapeshift into new industries.
Although the programmes I took part in were predominantly focused on supporting women – and therefore largely run by female mentors – some of the most valuable advice I received came from a male mentor on a Women in Geospatial programme. He brought a genuinely fresh perspective and has become a true ally and champion in my career.
Lou and her mentor in the Women in Geospatial programme
Even though the formal mentorship has ended, we remain in touch, and we've even found opportunities to weave our day-to-day work together across government. That experience is a powerful reminder of the value we can add to others by offering new thinking and perspectives, even when we might be questioning whether our own experiences are directly relevant.
Now in my current role in MHCLG, I steer a PropTech Innovation team, collaborating with local government, tech innovators and industry to pilot cutting-edge solutions which improve outcomes for communities.