The reciprocity of progress: Why giving to women is the strategic anchor of 2026

The International Women’s Day 2026 theme, Give To Gain, reflects a fundamental maturation in the corporate world’s approach to gender equity. In the high-stakes environment of 2026, the act of “giving”—whether through flexible infrastructure, inclusive AI governance, or intentional sponsorship—has shifted from a peripheral social goal to a core driver of organisational health. For leaders across the business landscape, this is a recognition that reciprocity is the engine of a resilient workforce.

This feature explores how eight prominent female executives are moving beyond traditional diversity metrics to build ecosystems in which the intentional multiplication of opportunities for women yields tangible, long-term gains for every stakeholder involved.

This change begins with a fundamental rethinking of the “linear” career. For Quek Li Ling, Head of Human Resources, General Affairs and Marketing Communications at Cathay United Bank (Singapore Branch), professional growth is inseparable from the chaos of life. She recalls a pivotal moment in her own career when she was “juggling several major personal milestones at once,” questioning whether she could keep up professionally. The key difference was an employer who regarded her as a whole person, not merely as a productivity output. This outlook now underpins how leaders view the modern workforce—acknowledging that when an organisation offers support during parenthood or eldercare, it does not just assist an individual; it also safeguards institutional knowledge that might otherwise be lost.

That sense of human-centric support is now colliding with the relentless rise of AI. In the tech sector, the stakes have shifted from “representation” to “governance”. Julia Tan, Managing Director of Cloudera Singapore, points to a critical “double-exposure risk” for women: they are underrepresented in the high-growth roles building AI, yet overrepresented in the functions most likely to be automated. She is blunt about the risks of a single-demographic development team, noting that bias does not just show up in datasets—it appears in which problems we choose to solve. To Tan, inclusion means having diverse voices shape product direction and decision rights from day one, not as a post-launch correction.

This technical divide is where Koren Wines, Managing Director at Xero Asia, sees a unique, yet dangerous, opportunity. While AI can level the playing field for small organisations, it is not neutral. “Yesterday’s bias risks becoming tomorrow’s automated decisions,” she warns. If a credit model is trained on male-dominated historical data, it risks stalling the growth of female-owned businesses before they even get off the ground. For Wines, the solution is not just better code; it is inclusive leadership that “shows up every day—inviting different perspectives and listening with curiosity.”

The reality, however, is that the tech industry still clings to an outdated blueprint of what a “technical” career looks like. Becky Straker, Director of International Communications for Confluent, points out that the ideal of a clean, engineering-focused climb historically favours men. Her colleague, Siobhan Ryan, experienced the “deflating” tax put on women for taking career breaks, finding that years of high-level experience were often overlooked in favour of men with far less tenure but no gaps. As generative AI (GenAI) expands, the need for philosophy, law, and empathy grows, and the industry has to redefine “technical.” Moving these diverse talents into the boardroom requires a shift from passive mentorship to active sponsorship, ensuring that systemic barriers are removed for those who have taken the non-traditional routes to the top.

Moving from aspiration to meaningful impact requires discipline—an approach Monica Chia has championed as Vice-President for Human Resources, East Asia and Japan at Schneider Electric. Over a six-year journey, the organisation has moved past the “checkbox” approach to mentorship. By focusing on balanced candidate slates and fostering communities like How Women Rise, Chia has watched possibilities multiply. “Leadership,” she asserts, “is not about driving business results.

And in the world of risk advisory, this absence of diverse voices is viewed as a tangible operational risk. Reshmi Khurana, Singapore Country Leader, Partner, and Managing Director at AlixPartners, has spent 25 years identifying blind spots, and she is convinced that the most overlooked risk is the silence of certain voices in a room. She emphasises that the next phase of progress in Singapore is about equipping women with the specific “tools of influence”—negotiation and stakeholder management. She highlights the role of “champions”—those who advocate for you when you are not in the room—recalling how such advocacy provided the visibility that defined her own career path.

This theme of shared growth finds a practical, community-driven home in real estate. Doris Ong, Deputy CEO of ERA Singapore, Chairperson of ERA EmpowHER and Chairperson of ERA ESG, describes leadership as a process of “multiplication.” From her start as a management trainee to her role as Deputy CEO, she has maintained that growth is only meaningful if it is shared. Through the launch of ERA EmpowHER, she is formalising a system where successful agents mentor the next generation. By grounding leadership in community—supporting underprivileged families and inclusion for the deaf community—Ong illustrates that an organisation’s internal strength is a direct reflection of the health of its wider ecosystem.

Ultimately, the goal is to redesign the space around us. Cindy Tan, CEO (Singapore) of GMO, suggests we stop obsessing over the “glass ceiling” and start “opening windows.” She realised early on that competence alone was not the whole story; she needed a peer network to widen her lens. Her advice to the next generation is to stop waiting for perfection: “Do not wait until you feel ready. Raise your hand sooner. Speak up earlier.” For those already at the top, the responsibility is to be the person who holds the window open, allowing knowledge and opportunity to flow in both directions.

As 2026 unfolds, the “Give To Gain” philosophy is proving to be a catalyst for sustained organisational performance. Whether it is through the gift of visibility for a non-linear career, the gift of a champion in a closed-door meeting, or the gift of inclusive AI governance, the act of advancing women is building a more interconnected, resilient professional world. The leaders who give generously to this cause are ensuring their organisations are the ones that gain the most in the years to come.

Read More on our International Women’s Day 2026 Special:

Rooted in support: Growing with our people through life’s milestones by Quek Li Ling, Head of Human Resources, General Affairs and Marketing Communications, Cathay United Bank (Singapore Branch)

Inclusion as infrastructure: Rebuilding the AI talent pipeline by Julia Tan, Managing Director, Cloudera Singapore

Equity is the engine of innovation in the AI age by Koren Wines, Managing Director, Xero Asia

The women in data redefining career paths in tech by Becky Straker, Director of International Communications, Confluent

When intention turns into impact by Monica Chia, Vice-President, Human Resources, East Asia and Japan, Schneider Electric

Championing women to lead and influence by Reshmi Khurana, Singapore Country Leader, Partner and Managing Director, AlixPartners

Building from the ground up: A leadership journey in #GiveToGain by Doris Ong, Deputy CEO of ERA Singapore, Chairperson of ERA EmpowHER and Chairperson of ERA ESG

Taking a collaborative approach to growth: Thinking of opportunities as opening windows, not breaking ceilings by Cindy Tan, CEO (Singapore), GMO