In support of International Women’s Day 2026, Angelica Solutions is calling on the insurance and data sectors to address the structural barriers that continue to limit women’s participation, progression, and visibility in the workplace. This year’s UN theme, “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”, highlights that to advance gender equality and create meaningful progress depends on changing the systems that quietly exclude or undervalue women, particularly those whose careers don’t follow a straight line.
One of the most persistent barriers to gender equity in the industry lies in how recruitment processes prioritise visibility over value. Platforms like LinkedIn are increasingly favoured for hiring because they are efficient and low-cost. However, they tend to reward uninterrupted careers and active professional networks, criteria that disadvantage those who have taken time out of the workforce, which remains more common among women. This creates an invisible filter that excludes capable candidates before their applications are even seen.
Access to professional networks is also shaped by informal practices that often go unchallenged. After-hours events, industry meetups, and social gatherings play a powerful role in relationship-building and career progression. Yet women who are still statistically more likely to carry caring responsibilities or manage school pick-ups are less able to attend these events, leading to missed opportunities and slower progression through no fault of their own.
The same systemic issues extend into entrepreneurship. For women considering self-employment, the lack of paid parental leave or income protection creates significant financial uncertainty. Starting a business always carries risk, but for women, that risk is amplified by the absence of structural support. It’s no surprise, then, that only around 20% of UK businesses are female-founded[i], a statistic that speaks not to a lack of ambition, but to a lack of access.
Sarah Vaughan, Founder and Director at Angelica Solutions, said: “It’s not enough to ask where the women leaders are. We need to look at the conditions we create or fail to create for women returning to work, switching paths, or working flexibly. The way we define and reward talent needs to change.”
“Progress isn’t only about boardroom quotas or diversity statements. Instead, it’s about how inclusion is designed into the day-to-day: from how job specs are written, to how performance is measured, and how flexibility is offered.
“This isn’t about lowering standards,” Vaughan concludes. “It’s about widening the lens through which we assess potential. Talent, insight and leadership often come from those who’ve taken a different path.”
[i] https://www.365finance.co.uk/insights/the-state-of-sme-funding-for-women-in-the-uk-2024/