Give to Gain – International Women’s Day 2026

 

Give to Gain: International Women’s Day 2026

This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the power of women supporting women – in business, in leadership, and in impact. 

The UN’s 2026 theme, Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls calls on every one of us to build a fairer world. And the IWD campaign theme #GivetoGain reminds us that when women lift each other, everyone rises.

NEMI Teas is a proud partner in an impact collective of female‑led social enterprises:

  • Luminary Bakery (training and employment for women overcoming disadvantage), Claire Hilton, Managing Director

  • Amplify Goods (sustainable essentials that fund gender‑equity impact) Camilla Marcus-Dew, Co-founder

  • Mediorite (youth‑powered creative agency opening doors to the media industry) Lucy Ferguson, Founder

  • The Glasshouse  (indoor plants creating horticultural training and employment for women with lived prison experience), Katie Whittingham, CEO

We’re joining forces and choosing action:

  • Opening doors for one another and other social enterprises in our world of B2B

  • Sharing our stories and our platforms

  • Swapping knowledge to strengthen our businesses

  • Championing ethical, women‑led brands that create real social change

Today, we invite you to #GiveToGain by discovering and supporting the incredible women‑powered enterprises shaping a more just, inclusive economy.

Why Female-Led Businesses Deliver Better Value to People and Communities

When businesses talk about value, they typically mean shareholder returns. But female entrepreneurs are redefining what value means. The evidence shows we are creating stronger, more sustainable outcomes for our people and communities.

Research from Boston Consulting Group found that for every dollar of funding, female-founded startups generate 78 cents in revenue compared to 31 cents for male-founded companies—more than double the return. Yet women receive less than 3% of venture capital funding, revealing a significant market inefficiency.

Female-led businesses demonstrate measurably different priorities. A study by American Express showed that women business owners are 1.5 times more likely than their male counterparts to hire from underrepresented groups and create pathways for people facing barriers to employment. They’re also more likely to implement flexible working arrangements and invest in employee development.

The community impact is equally compelling. Research from the Kauffman Foundation reveals that women reinvest a higher proportion of their earnings back into education, health, and family. This creates multiplier effects that strengthen local economies. Female entrepreneurs are also significantly more likely to pursue social enterprise models, with 41% of women-led businesses having an explicit social or environmental mission compared to 32% of male-led firms, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.

In the UK, data from the Rose Review shows that bringing women’s entrepreneurship rates in line with men’s could add £250 billion to the economy. Female-led businesses also show higher survival rates in their first five years, suggesting more sustainable, considered approaches to growth.

For responsible procurement managers and business leaders, this evidence presents a clear case. Partnering with female-led suppliers isn’t just about diversity. It’s about working with businesses that are statistically more likely to deliver value beyond the contract, creating positive ripple effects for workforce development and community resilience. We are proud to be a social enterprise that’s giving back, and helping business leaders to give back too in a way that benefits everyone.

Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls! Together we’re adopting this approach in our communities, in our supply chains, and in the businesses we choose to back.

Who are the Social Enterprise Female Leader Collective?

We are a collective of female led social enterprises with a focus on working in the B2B space who have come together to support each other through:

  • Amplifying positive messages

  • Collaborating on engagement events to nurture customers and prospects and raise awareness of the brands and purpose

  • Sharing general business advice. Be a sounding board for all in what can sometimes be a lonely space.

  • Chairing, note sharing and rotating venues for each meeting rotated

If you want to find out more email, email our MD, Claire Pearson: claire@nemiteas.com

Sources: American Express State of Women-Owned Businesses Report

#IWD2026 #InternationalWomensDay #WomenInBusiness #SocialEnterprise #FemaleFounders #PurposeDrivenBusiness

Pranav Chopra