Give to Gain: Why Women’s Progress Is Built in Community

Every year, International Women’s Day offers a moment for businesses, individuals and communities to reflect on and acknowledge the many roles and accomplishments of women. Equity, however, is more than supporting and celebrating women on a day dictated by the calendar. Inclusion and equity are embedded in culture. They are nurtured and strengthened in boardrooms and classrooms, at messy kitchen tables and on community stages. While we often look to corporations, governments, and institutions to move the needle on equality, it is women themselves who continue to drive progress and demand recognition. 

The 2026 International Women’s Day theme, Give to Gain, feels especially powerful in this context. Real change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when one woman reaches back to support those coming behind her, while also learning from and being lifted by those ahead. Progress is collective. It requires action, support, rest and community. Women need others to walk beside and to say their name when they’re not in the room. One woman cannot succeed alone.

I feel incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by supportive, driven, ambitious, and trailblazing women, women bold enough to challenge systems and generous enough to bring others with them. Their example inspires me to honour the legacies built before us while pushing for more for my daughter and her peers. 

This year, I invited influential women whose voices I deeply admire to share how the theme Give to Gain resonates with them through their work, leadership, and lived experience. I’m excited to share a roundup of reflections rooted in community, collaboration, and the belief that when we give our time, our mentorship and our courage generously, we create safety, strength and even joy. 

I hope you’re as inspired by these words, ideas and practices as I am. And that this International Women’s Day you choose to give. Because when you do, gaining is inevitable. 

“My journey has taught me that ‘Give to Gain’ is not a transaction, it’s a cycle of abundance. There are seasons where we give and seasons where we receive. In this season of receiving (motherhood), I am sustained by the sisterhood of women who keep nourishing my spirit, so that I can continue giving not just as a professional but also as a mother.”

Sonali Sharma, Owner and founder of Athena Law, specializing in affordable Family And Estates law. 

“For a long time, I believed that giving meant pushing through, staying available, and carrying more than was sustainable. What I have learned, both as a mother and an entrepreneur, is that when women give themselves permission to rest, set boundaries, and listen to their bodies, they gain clarity, creativity, and the capacity to lead in ways that are actually sustainable. Giving to ourselves is often the very thing that allows us to give to others in a meaningful way.”

Heather Boersma, Life and Business Coach for Female Founders

“This year’s IWD theme, Give to Gain, resonates deeply with me. I think about the many times in my life when the support of another woman, through advice, time, an introduction, or simple encouragement, helped me move forward in my career. We often underestimate the power we have individually, but no one gets where they are alone, and you never know how much your support might mean to someone else.”

-Leah Yard, Owner of Leah Yard Designs and Host of the Voted Least Likely Podcast

“The singular emotional need that I see arise in women across the world is our collective need to feel safe. And safety is the easiest to give. My intention this year is to nurture a safe space within myself, in my art practice and give that to my community. I hope to have women around me feel safe enough to then be able to explore aspects of themselves they’ve never been able to get to — self expression, grief, loss and eventual empowerment because sometimes even that can feel so overwhelming without safety as a foundation.”

–Rashmi Tyagi, Visual Artist & Designer

“The theme ‘Give to Gain’ reflects how I move through both my work and my life. My journey of rebuilding across cultures and redefining myself in different seasons has taught me that growth deepens when it’s shared. The more I poured into community, mentorship, and collective progress, the more grounded and expansive I became. In giving, I didn’t lose myself; I gained clarity, strength, and a stronger sense of who I am still becoming.”

Ade Dotun-Adigun, Customer Experience, TD Bank

“This theme calls to mind a wonderful initiative that I have been participating in for the last couple of years: The Red Ribbon Skirt Project. The project is to make 100 Red Ribbon Skirts that are gifted to family members of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) at the annual MMIWG memorial march that takes place annually on February 14th. On its surface, the (mostly Indigenous, mostly female) volunteers “give” our time to cut and sew these beautiful garments, but what actually unfolds over the successive weekend workshops is far more about what we receive. Over the whirr of sewing machines, relationships are built. Food is brought, sewing tips are swapped, and stories about our lives and families are shared. Like many settlers seeking to show up for Truth and Reconciliation, I have attended the MMIWG march for many years, read books, signed petitions, donated money and participated in multiple related workshops and trainings, all of which have been meaningful and worthwhile. What I receive from participating in this project is joy and connection, forged through shared creativity and purpose.”

Madeleine Shaw, Slow Fashion Designer, everyware designs

“Working in wealth management, I see every day how powerful it is when women openly talk about money. To me, ‘Give to Gain’ means creating space for women to have these conversations, ask questions and learn from one another, because when one woman feels confident to talk about money, it ripples to her friends, family and community. And as my favourite quote goes, nothing bad happens when women have more money!”

Haley MacCosham, MBA | Investment Advisor | RBC Dominion Securities Inc. 

“As I built my career, I learned that access and community changes everything. I try to be the person I once needed, opening doors, sharing information, and leading from an abundance mindset so others don’t just see what’s possible, but feel audacious enough to dream bigger and rise higher. I believe in making success feel accessible, expansive, and shared. I have no interest in being the exception or for my story to feel out of reach for anyone that desires something similar. It’s why my work, and really all of Career Contacts, is rooted in service to our 4 Cs – clients, candidates, colleagues and community.”

Natasha Jeshani, President & CEO, Career Contacts 

“‘Give to gain’ is not just an International Women’s Day theme — it is a defining principle of female-identifying leadership. We rise by lifting others, because no meaningful success is created in isolation. When we invest our time, wealth, and influence in others, the return is exponential, creating ripples of impact far beyond ourselves.”

Krista Lee Hynes, CFP, CFC, Managing Partner, Ignite Financial Solutions

“Core to my values is the importance of working collectively. I take great joy from volunteering not in a mode of “help” but in the spirit of reciprocity, recognizing that I benefit from giving time and collaborating with others. The theme “Give to Gain” also offers an important reminder, that giving should not be something that depletes us.”

Cecily Nicholson, Poet, Speaker, Author, and Educator

“I believe Give to Gain is ultimately about abundance, recognizing that success is not a limited resource. When women uplift, collaborate, and invest in one another, everyone rises.”

Kellina Powell, #deafqueenboss | International Speaker | 4X Amazon Best Selling Author | Coach | CEO

“The “Give To Gain” theme feels deeply personal to me. Through our Canadian media publication, we have the privilege of spotlighting women creators, innovators, and leaders. Giving women space to be heard is how we grow and transform industries and communities. When one woman rises, she brings others with her, and that collective momentum is what fuels real change.”

Taylor Devoe, CEO, By The North

“I try to move through the world with energy, curiosity, and a genuine desire to build something meaningful with others and have found that when we invest intentionally in people and ideas we believe in, we create connection, growth, and new opportunities. Giving from the heart, whether through sharing our gifts and knowledge, supporting others, making introductions, or using our voices to move important work forward, all contributes to creating space for more people to succeed.”

Brittany Gawley, CEO and Creative Lead, Founders Media

“I’ve always believed that when we share what we’ve learned with others and invest in one another’s growth, we grow and become more expanded too. Through my work in knowledge sharing, from the How She Made This talk series to my role leading a human rights and justice education nonprofit, I see that when we learn from and with women, transfeminine, and gender diverse people, we can expand not only what is possible for all the learners, but also what is possible for us as teachers. Giving and receiving knowledge creates opportunities for growth for everyone involved.”

Shelan Markus, Founder of How She Made This & City and She, Executive Director of Level Justice

“I don’t believe in being generous…I believe in being generative. Women and gender diverse folks, for so long, have been taught to give of themselves without expectation, without asking for any return. Now, I build experiences and initiatives to encourage others to interact, to contribute, to co-create. From co-contributory mailing lists with creative job opportunities to group letter writing at a concert, we each give, so that we all gain.”

Kristina Lao, Artist-Advocate

“As someone who was raised with collectivist values, I’ve learned that real power comes from building community wealth. The White capitalist patriarchy falsely teaches us that “wealth” is individual, monetary, and competitive, a definition that devalues our environment, our freedom and our humanity. Giving isn’t a zero-sum game, it’s an investment in a better future for all of us: whether we’re fighting for gender equity, racial equity, economic empowerment or environmental justice, all of our oppressions are interconnected and so is our liberation.”

Katy Ho, Writer and Activist

“In 5 years of creating support systems and communities for women and mothers, I’ve seen that the principals of “give to gain” are inherent to how women organize, operate, and relate. It’s remarkable that this remains true even in our current system, which is designed to suppress mutually beneficial collaboration. Unless we redirect our inherent energy into systems, communities, and people willing to reciprocate; we maintain a status quo that exploits women and our labour.”

Elizabeth Fisher, Director of Vessel Designs