Every year, International Women’s Day invites us to pause, reflect and push harder for a more equal world. In 2026, the global theme Give to Gain encourages everyone to lift others as they rise. It’s a simple but powerful truth: generosity fuels progress. When we share time, knowledge, opportunity or support, we don’t lose anything. We amplify what comes next, and when women flourish, society does too.
Our own industry is predominantly female, with 67% of women making up the PR & communications sector, yet leadership still tells a different story. The higher you climb, the number of women in leadership dwindles, with only one-third of boardroom executives being female.
At PHA, we’re proud that 50% of our leadership team is women, and we remain committed to creating a workplace where gender never limits ambition, progression or influence.
This International Women’s Day, we’ve been reflecting on the campaigns that have broken ground, challenged perceptions and moved the conversation forward. These are the ones that stayed with us.
TruthWorks – Dressed for the Yes (2026)
With humour and sharp observation, TruthWorks tackled one of the starkest stats in entrepreneurship: all‑female founding teams receive just 2% of global VC funding.
To spotlight the pattern, the founders re‑created the stereotypical “startup announcement” photo, with the same poses, same outfits, and same tell-tale tech‑bro energy, but with a female team. Their core message conveyed that if matching the mould isn’t enough to secure investment, the problem isn’t how women show up. It’s how decision-makers choose who is “yes-worthy”.
A brilliantly tongue-in-cheek challenge to an industry overdue for change.
Arsenal x Persil — Every Stain Should Be Part of the Game (2025)
This collaboration between Arsenal and Persil tackled a barrier that shouldn’t exist, but very much does: girls avoiding sport because of fear around period leaks. The campaign pointed out the glaring double standard that blood from a scraped knee is celebrated, but menstrual blood is treated with shame.
With support from athletes and clubs, the work encouraged open conversations around periods, normalised something entirely natural, and showed young girls that they shouldn’t have to step back from the sports they love. Play on, without fear, without hesitation.
B&Q – Do the lift thing (2025)
B&Q took a surprising but powerful stance in 2025 with a campaign that brought women in the trades, a group that makes up only 2% of the workforce, into the spotlight. The creative centred around ten women standing confidently in front of a custom-built lift, paired with the simple message: “As you rise, lift others with you.”
Rather than stopping at awareness, B&Q backed the work with action: a £1 million commitment to fund trade apprenticeships across carpentry, plumbing, decorating and more. It was a reminder that representation matters, but investment is what truly opens doors.
Beyond equality – See what she sees (2025)
This thought-provoking outdoor campaign invited men to reconsider spaces they move through comfortably, but women often don’t. Triggered by a viral discussion around public safety between Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal on The Graham Norton Show, “See What She Sees” visualised the emotional reality many women feel when walking alone.
7 in 10 women worry about being followed or harassed when alone in public, and 2 in 3 women say safety fears limit their social and professional lives.
The campaign encouraged men to play an active role in improving women’s safety, not by centring themselves, but by listening, learning and stepping up.
L’Oréal — Never Your Fault (2024)
Street harassment is something most women have experienced, yet conversations around blame still fall in the wrong place far too often. L’Oréal’s “Never Your Fault” campaign confronted that reality head-on, using hard-hitting statistics to dismantle the notion that appearance or behaviour is ever to blame for harassment.
Alongside the messaging, the brand continued to expand its Stand Up programme, which has equipped millions globally with practical bystander intervention tools. A campaign rooted not just in advocacy, but in teaching people how to create safer spaces.
Fordman & Bodenfors – Imagine (2022)
“Imagine” stripped gender bias back to something very human: our instinctive mental shortcuts. By asking viewers to imagine different professions and roles, the campaign exposed how ingrained stereotypes remain.
Workplace posters and children’s colouring books included prompts such as “Imagine a leader” or “Imagine a nurse,” then encouraged people to consider who came to mind first. It was a gentle, clever and thoughtful approach that challenged the assumptions many of us don’t even notice we’re making and opened up conversations across generations.
More from us:
At PHA, supporting women is embedded in who we are. International Women’s Day is not a once-a-year occasion for us. From equal opportunities and flexible pathways to female leadership across the business, we are committed to building an environment where women can thrive at every stage of their career.
Explore opportunities with us:
- Careers at PHA
- PHA.accelerate – our internship programme
If your brand is ready to create work that uplifts women and challenges inequality, our brilliant female strategists, creatives and storytellers are here to help you make it happen. Get in touch and start the conversation at hello@thephagroup.com to elevate your next International Women’s Day campaign.