On International Women’s day we discuss how brands should innovate to better meet the needs of half the population and make a meaningful difference for women and girls worldwide.

The pace of technological advancements in today’s disruptive times is unprecedented, yet we continue to grapple with getting the fundamentals right for women’s equality and empowerment.

An example that helps explain this gap is the way brands have been focusing on the #pinkification of products and services, which is often about using stereotypical feminine imagery, colours and language to market products and services to women.

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals show there has been progress in gender equality over recent decades, but the world is not on track to achieve the 2030 targets. At this pace, it would take another 40 years for women and men to be represented equally in national parliaments.

The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 calls the world to #EmbraceEquity. To achieve this, brands need to build meaningfully different innovations by accepting, adopting and creating an inclusive world.