WISE International Women’s Day 2026 Webinar – The Power of Giving: The Women Leading the Charge

For International Women’s Day 2026, WISE celebrated with a dynamic and collaborative online event exploring this year’s theme, “Give to Gain.” Hosted by IET President Dawn Ohlson, the session brought together an engaged global audience and an exceptional panel of women leaders:

• Katy Deacon, IET Vice President & Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor
• Anni Feng, Associate Director, Intelligent Building Group, Hoare Lea
• Kimberly Abbott, Founder & CEO of Vested Impact

The event opened with Dawn’s powerful reflection on IWD’s 115-year history and the continued importance of collective action in accelerating gender parity—particularly within STEM, where women currently represent just 27.6% of the UK’s core workforce. In true “Give to Gain” spirit, the session flipped the script, placing the audience at the centre of the conversation through live Slido polls, word clouds, and interactive Q&A.

Across a rich and varied discussion, the panellists explored what “giving” means in the STEM context—from sharing expertise and mentoring to sponsorship, allyship, and creating space for others to be heard. They spoke candidly about how giving has shaped their own careers: from Anni’s community-driven approach to Kim’s global development work, to Katy’s experience reinventing her career following life-changing circumstances.

Audience insights flowed throughout, revealing how mentoring, collaboration, and volunteering have supported their development—and highlighting barriers such as confidence, time, and lack of organisational recognition. These real-time responses helped shape a practical discussion on how workplaces can value and reward cultures of giving.

In closing, attendees were invited to make a personal “Give to Gain” commitment for 2026, while each panellist shared a final takeaway: “Do it”, “You have more to give than you think”, and “Try something new”.

The event reinforced a clear message: when we lift others, we rise together—and giving is one of the most powerful accelerators of inclusion, innovation, and positive change in STEM.