Insights into International Women’s Day and civil society, by Temi Odesanya, Civil Society Engagement Manager
International Women’s Day 2026 invites us to reflect on the theme Give to Gain, a principle that is particularly resonant for women working in civil society. And one that is especially evident in the remarkable contributions of all of the women working to transform financial inclusion across the UK.
Across the seven International Women’s Days I have spent at Fair4All Finance, we have celebrated women leading credit unions, community development finance institutions and inclusive finance initiatives. This year, we want to spotlight the extraordinary women in civil society whose work is reshaping the systems that impact financial wellbeing.
At our conference in November 2025, I had the privilege of chairing a panel of exceptional women whose leadership is redefining what innovation, collaboration and courage look like in practice.
Their insight, efforts and verve were powerful reminders of what Give to Gain truly means. They do not gatekeep – they share, uplift and actively bring others with them, because they know that meaningful, lasting change can only happen when knowledge is shared and power is opened up.
Civil society: A force for innovation
The Government’s Civil Society Covenant describes the sector as a ‘force for innovation… rooted in lived experience and trusted by those it serves.’ This is not abstract language. It is a direct reflection of the work happening every day across the organisations represented on our panel:
- Joanne Dewar and Kris Foster (Project Nemo) are reshaping inclusive design in fintech through genuine co‑creation with adults with learning disabilities, demonstrating what inclusion looks like when lived experience isn’t an afterthought but the foundation.
- Erel Onojobi (Runnymede Trust, Power to Prosper) is confronting the structural and racialised drivers of poverty, building grassroots leadership and challenging narratives that have long held communities back.
- Sam Smethers (Surviving Economic Abuse) is tackling one of the most hidden forms of gendered harm: economic abuse. Her work with banks, credit providers and regulators is ensuring financial systems no longer enable abuse to persist.
- Helen Undy OBE (Money and Mental Health Policy Institute) is transforming how financial services understand and support people with mental health problems, embedding lived experience into research, product design and regulatory change.
These women are not simply responding to problems; they are reimagining systems. Their leadership reflects the core of civil society’s role within the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy: bold innovation grounded in the voice of the communities they serve, collaboration and a commitment to tackling entrenched inequities.
Give to Gain: Women modelling generosity in leadership
The 2026 theme feels particularly fitting. Women in civil society consistently ‘give to gain’, not for personal recognition, but to strengthen the communities they serve.
They give:
- Their insights Sharing evidence, learning and challenges openly so others can build on what already works.
- Their honesty Bringing lived experience into the conversation—whether related to mental health, disability, racial injustice or economic abuse.
- Their power Creating space for others in rooms where decisions are shaped and priorities set.
- Their collaboration Breaking down organisational silos and recognising that no single institution can shift systemic inequality alone.
This generosity is catalytic. It enables intersectionality to move from theory into practice, recognising that people’s experiences cross multiple identities, and that inclusive design must reflect this complexity.
Women are at the heart of changing the system
What struck me most while chairing this session was just how much of today’s meaningful financial inclusion innovation is being led by civil society and how essential their leadership is to the change we seek.
The panel reinforced that:
- We cannot build inclusion without lived experience guiding decision making – it’s a non-negotiable for meaningful innovation.
- Civil society is a catalyst, not a gap filler, in financial inclusion. The women leading these efforts are consistently identifying and acting in blind spots that large institutions miss and bring urgency and credibility to addressing challenges
- And we cannot deliver the Financial Inclusion Strategy or wider government priorities without a vibrant, independent civil society, so often powered by the thoughtful, determined leadership of women.
Their work shows that innovation is not only about technology. It is equally about listening differently, designing differently and redistributing power.
A personal reflection
As Civil Society Engagement Manager, I left this panel deeply inspired and energised.
I am also grateful for women who lead with purpose in the financial inclusion sector. They share learning generously, bring care and clarity to intersectionality and persistence in driving change, even when systems move slowly.
Their work accelerates progress and is vital in the delivery of the Financial Inclusion Strategy, but their impact extends far beyond their organisations and even our sector.
This International Women’s Day, I am pleased to spotlight the work they are doing every day to achieve a more inclusive society, giving so much so that everyone can gain.
