International Women's Day 2026: How our Women in Leadership initiative is turning Commitment into Action

The theme for International Women's Day 2026 is "Give to Gain", a call for collaboration and practical mentoring to ensure that women's success is lasting and systemic rather than merely performative. This year's theme aligns directly with the purpose of Charles Russell Speechlys' Women in Leadership initiative, which reframes inclusion as a strategic investment in the Firm's female talent. The Women in Leadership initiative empowers individuals to network early in their careers, build a community of women across various disciplines, share knowledge and opportunities, and "hold the ladder down" for others to rise into leadership roles.

The need for such initiatives remains clear. According to a Barclays report, women in England and Wales now make up 53% of all practising solicitors, yet they remain underrepresented at senior levels, with only 32% being full-equity partners. Similarly, a report from UK Private Equity found that in 2025 just 27% of UK-based investment professionals were women, with the proportion of women in senior investment teams at 15%. Whilst these figures still have considerable room for improvement, they do represent a steady increase over recent years, demonstrating that targeted, sustained measures can deliver meaningful progress.

In 2025, the Women in Leadership network expanded from a London-based initiative to a truly international and Firm-wide programme. Supported by increased investment and strong local partner engagement in Asia and the South West of the UK, the network has grown from its origins in the Corporate and Business Advisory teams to encompass all divisions of the Firm. A programme of high-profile and regionally delivered events has been central to achieving this growth. Highlights from the past year include a flagship event in partnership with the Schools Consent Project, featuring a screening of Prima Facie at the National Theatre; a Women in Family Offices breakfast aligned to the Firm's inaugural Family Office conference in October 2025; and the launch of the first Women in Leadership event in Hong Kong. Following the success of the Women in Family Offices breakfast, the Geneva office will bring the same concept to its network in March 2026. 

Alongside this external engagement, the Women in Leadership initiative has deepened its internal focus by launching a "Next-Gen" event where junior women across the Firm invite contacts to a more informal networking event, promoting internal collaboration, practicing networking skills required in leadership positions and fostering a closer community of junior female talent — a practical embodiment of the "Give to Gain" ethos at the heart of this year's International Women's Day theme.

The growing profile of women across the Firm has also been recognised externally. Two partners from the Construction, Real Estate and Disputes team were shortlisted for the Women in Property Awards during the year: Kim Lalli was nominated for "Leader of the Year — Financial and Professional Services" and Emma Humphreys was nominated for "Woman of the Year — Financial and Professional Services". Additionally, Sarah Wigington and Grace Hudson will attend the annual IBA Women Lawyers conference in Lisbon this year, further developing the international reach and profile of the network.

With slow but steady progress industry-wide and a clear programme of investment internally, Charles Russell Speechlys is demonstrating that meaningful change comes not from aspiration alone, but from the kind of sustained, practical commitment that the "Give to Gain" theme calls for.

For more information about our upcoming events, including a forthcoming collaboration with Ladies in Real Estate (LiRE); a discussion on Investing in Women’s Sport; and a talk by Sam Smith (SuperScalers) who supports female founders and entrepreneurs scale their businesses, please see the Women in Leadership page: Women in Leadership.