International Women’s Day 2026: celebrating women in insurance – past, present and future
Published on: March 8, 2026
International Women’s Day (IWD), marked every year on 8 March, is a global celebration of women’s social, economic, cultural and political achievements. It also serves as a call to action for accelerating gender parity worldwide. The movement has deep roots: the earliest version of Women’s Day was held in 1909 in New York, organised by the Socialist Party of America, before being propelled forward by European labour movements. Clara Zetkin formally proposed an International Women’s Day at a Copenhagen conference in 1910, leading to the first official celebrations in 1911 across Europe. The UN began formally recognising IWD in 1977.
Today, IWD is a moment not just to celebrate, but to reflect – especially in industries like finance and insurance, where progress has been made, but inequalities remain.
Women in finance and insurance: where we stand today
Although women make up 60–66% of the total insurance workforce, they remain vastly underrepresented at senior levels. Research shows:
- Less than 7% of insurance CEOs are women in the UK.
- Only 16% of CFOs and 11% of chairpersons in the insurance sector are women. [1] [2]
Across financial services more broadly, women hold 36% of senior roles, and although the numbers are rising, the pace remains slow. [3]
Despite this, UK finance is shifting – women are increasingly influencing leadership, strategy and transformation across banking, insurance and investment. High‑profile leaders like Dame Amanda Blanc (Aviva) and Debbie Crosbie (Nationwide) are demonstrating how inclusive leadership fuels better business decisions and stronger cultures. [4]
At QMT Commercial, we’re proud to be part of this positive change.
The QMT perspective: women leading with strength, expertise and compassion
Our sales and support management team is predominantly women – not by design, but because the best people for the roles happen to be women. Their stories reflect resilience, ambition and the power of supportive workplaces.
Nicola – Commercial Team Manager
Nicola began her QMT career 19 years ago, rising from Call Handler to Assistant Telesales Manager, then Telesales Manager, overseeing a staff team of eight. After having her daughter, she returned part‑time and soon embraced the challenge of helping launch QMT’s commercial arm.
As the business expanded and evolved, Nicola did too – moving from quoting to renewals, rediscovering her love for leadership and becoming Commercial Manager.
“I am extremely proud of myself for being able to focus on my career whilst raising a family. Of course, it’s had its challenges, especially when my daughter was diagnosed with Autism, but this has just made me stronger and more determined to achieve my goals and set a good example for my children.”
Her journey is a testament to the importance of flexibility, trust and recognising talent early.
Jen – Head of Financial Control
With 39 years of finance experience, 28 of which were spent within the Lloyd’s market, Jen has navigated enormous shifts in insurance, from restructures to outsourcing major functions internationally.
Since joining QMT in 2020, she has leveraged her extensive expertise to modernise financial reporting, strengthen internal processes and support directors with strategic insights.
“QMT is really quite unique in its management structure, as myself, our Sales Managers, Credit Control and Client Relationship Managers are all women. This means we can bring our hard work and lived experience to our roles, providing a different approach to what is statistically a male dominated sector.”
Amanda – Client Relationship Team Assistant Manager
Amanda’s career with QMT spans 12 years, beginning in Admin before moving into Credit Control, gaining vital insight into business cashflow and financial processes.
Returning to Admin “felt like coming home”, and her progression from Senior Admin Assistant to Assistant Manager to Client Relationship Team Assistant Manager reflects her growing expertise and compassionate leadership style.
“Everyday I strive to support my team and the wider QMT goals. I have worked hard to develop my management style, creating a safe space for truly open communication – I really think empathy is a key skill a woman can bring to a management role.”
Her experience aligns with findings that inclusive leadership reduces turnover and strengthens workplace culture – critical factors in insurance’s evolving landscape. [5]
Sharon – Client Relationship Team Manager
With 43 years in insurance, Sharon’s career began in a very different era. Her early ambitions in engineering were dismissed because she was a woman – a reality many of her generation faced.
She entered the Lloyd’s market as a typist/telephonist, but her curiosity and determination led her to expand into underwriting support roles. Over the years, she pushed boundaries, demanded to be heard and navigated structural gender biases.
“Each woman has had to fight for her position… Women do not want to dominate. We fight for balance. We simply want to be heard, recognised and treated equally.”
Her story echoes the broader history of women’s struggle for workplace equality — the very struggle IWD was created to honour. [6]
The future: what we hope to see in insurance
The data is clear:
- Gender equity is still decades away globally – potentially beyond 2150 if progress continues at current rates. [7]
- Yet diverse leadership improves financial results, customer satisfaction and innovation. [1]
At QMT Commercial, we are committed to being part of the solution:
1. Building pathways for women at all levels
From entry roles to senior leadership, we believe in developing talent over time – evidence shows this is how companies accelerate meaningful change.
2. Supporting flexible working without judgement
Many of our leaders – including Nicola – are proof that flexibility grows talent, rather than limiting it.
3. Celebrating lived experience as leadership strength
Empathy, communication, adaptability and resilience – traits our managers exemplify – are invaluable in a modern insurance environment.
4. Continuing to challenge bias in the industry
Both overt and unconscious barriers continue to restrict opportunities across the sector, but progress is possible and we intend to champion it.
Final thoughts
International Women’s Day is more than a date in the diary – it is a reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we still must go.
Across QMT, women are shaping the future of our business every day, driving performance, strengthening relationships and setting new standards for what leadership in insurance can look like.
To every woman in our team – and across our industry – we see you, we value you and we celebrate you.
Sources:
- https://eliotpartnership.com/news-insights/gender-diversity-in-insurance-leadership-the-latest-statistics/
- https://www.actuarialpost.co.uk/downloads/cat_1/Morningstar_DBRS-Gender_Diversity_Women_Still_Under-Represented.pdf
- https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/breaking-news/revealed–huge-gender-pay-gap-in-uk-financial-services-531143.aspx
- https://www.upstandinghackers.com/women-reshaping-leadership-in-finance/
- https://www.lse.ac.uk/tii/assets/documents/Advancing-Women-in-Financial-Services-Final-Report.pdf
- https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day/background
- https://www.internationalwomensday.com/About
