International Women's Day 2025 - Dawn Christine Simmons

International Women's Day 2025: Empowering women leaders is crucial for global progress. Despite women holding 31% of senior management roles globally in 2025, achieving full gender parity is projected to take until 2158 at the current rate. This underscores the urgency of accelerating action toward equality.

March 9, 2025

International Women’s Day 2025: Empowering women leaders is essential for global progress. As of 2025, women hold 31% of senior management roles globally, reflecting a slight increase from previous years. However, despite this progress, achieving full gender parity is projected to take until 2158 at the current rate.

Collectively, we can Accelerate Action for gender equality. Let us support and raise our voice in solidarity for International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 on March 8 to help #AccelerateAction.

The Importance of International Women’s Day 2025 Leadership

Research consistently shows that organizations with diverse leadership teams perform better financially. Companies with more women in senior management are significantly more profitable. Furthermore, increasing women’s participation in the workforce can boost economic growth. Closing gender gaps could add 7 million women to the workforce and boost economic growth by 4.2%.

“No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half its citizens.”

~Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama’s Leadership Lessons for Women’s Success

Michelle Obama champions resilience, authenticity, and purpose-driven leadership. Her insights provide a blueprint for women striving for leadership, advocating for integrity, strategic action, and empowerment.

Her iconic phrase, “When they go low, we go high,” underscores the power of grace under pressure. She elaborates that “going high” means channeling purpose into action, not responding with anger. (The Independent)

Keys to Women’s Success in Leadership

Rise Above Challenges: Face gender and racial barriers with self-empowerment and resilience. (LinkedIn)
Be Ready for Opportunities: Preparation is key—when the right moment comes, seize it with confidence. (Essence)
Lead with Purpose: True leadership uplifts others and focuses on long-term impact.

Personal Reflection: Challenges and Resilience

Dawn's One Year Thirdaversary — Dawn’s One Year Thirdaversary

At the recent ServiceNow Summit in Chicago, I attended a women’s session that left an indelible mark on me. The stories of leading with courage, strength, and unwavering conviction resonated deeply—because I, too, know what it means to stand firm when others refuse to collaborate.

As a woman in IT, I bring a vision and a way of thinking that may differ from others. Yet, my identity as a woman is not a limitation—it is my power. It shapes how I lead, how I innovate, and how I navigate challenges that others may never have to face.

Recently, I encountered a situation where a male colleague, rather than collaborating to solve a problem, chose to attack me personally. In that moment, I had a choice: to engage at his level or to rise above. Even while battling physical illness, I stood my ground with professionalism, refusing to be diminished. What I didn’t know at the time was that my health was on the brink—I would soon face a life-altering diagnosis of heart failure.

Leading through that kind of trauma is a test of everything you are. It strips away pretense and reveals character. And what I learned is this: No matter how low someone else chooses to go, I will always choose to be my best. I will always choose resilience, courage, and grace. Because leadership isn’t about proving my worth to those who refuse to see it—it’s about never losing sight of my own.

Trailblazing Women Shaping the Future: Visionaries Driving Innovation and Leadership Across Industries

Cyber Security:

Rinki Sethi:

Rinki Sethi, VP & CISO at BILL, is a recognized cybersecurity thought leader and mentor for women in business. She actively advances the industry through strategic security leadership, public speaking, and mentorship programs.

Industry Leadership: Built and led security teams at Twitter, IBM, and Palo Alto Networks. (SecureWorld)
Public Speaking & Writing: Shares insights on security trends and women in tech. (DarkReading)
Empowering Women in Cybersecurity: Mentorship & Advocacy: Guides students and professionals, championing diversity in tech. (Women Leaders in Cybersecurity)
Girl Scouts Cybersecurity Badges: Led the creation of the first national cybersecurity curriculum for young girls. (Lacework)

Patricia Grant:

Patricia Grant, SVP & CIO at Tenable, brings nearly 30 years of IT leadership, driving digital transformation and women’s empowerment in tech. Her extensive career spans key roles at ServiceNow, Symantec, and Tenable, where she champions diversity, innovation, and cybersecurity leadership.

CIO at Tenable: Leads global IT strategy at a top cybersecurity firm. (Tenable)
ServiceNow VP: Spearheaded digital operations and launched the “Women in Tech” mentorship program. (Tenable)
Symantec Leadership: Over a decade of driving IT strategy and security initiatives. (HR Katha)
Mentorship & Leadership: Active in FirstBoard.io and T200, promoting women’s leadership. (FirstBoard.io)
Industry Recognition: Named a 2025 Chief in Tech Leader to Watch by WomenTech Network. (LinkedIn)

Government:

Angela Merkel: Chancellor of Germany (2005–2021), is more than Time’s Person of the Year (2015) and consistently ranked among the world’s most powerful women by Forbes. She is widely recognized for her pragmatic, steady leadership that shaped Europe’s largest economy through multiple global crises. A scientist-turned-politician, she built a reputation for calm, calculated decision-making rather than rhetoric-driven politics.

Global Crisis Leadership: Steered Germany through the 2008 financial crisis, the Eurozone crisis, the migrant crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic with a measured, strategic approach.
Diplomatic Influence: Played a key role in EU integration, climate policies, and transatlantic relations while fostering stability in Europe.
Role Model: Merkel’s legacy inspires women in politics, business, and science, proving that leadership is about substance over style.
Women’s Empowerment: Advocated for gender equality, STEM education for women, and female leadership in global institutions.

IT:

Forbes’ “The World’s Top 50 Women In Tech” list recognizes influential women who are driving innovation and leadership in the technology sector. In addition, I introduce several of excellent women in leadership who are helping create a better future for executive women.

Kristen Russell

Chief Information Officer, Kristin Russell is a prominent technology executive based in Colorado, renowned for her transformative leadership and dedication to supporting women in technology.

President, Global Services at Arrow Electronics: Kristin leads the Global Services division at Arrow Electronics, a Fortune 109 company, where she and her team enable customers’ growth through a simple, sustainable, and scalable technology lifecycle experience. infosys.com
Former Secretary of Technology and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Colorado: Appointed by Governor Hickenlooper in 2011, Kristin was responsible for overseeing the state’s information systems and enhancing government effectiveness through shared technology. She also led Colorado’s IT economic development strategy, focusing on attracting tech companies and workers to the state. infosys.com+1cxotalk.com+1
Advocacy and Mentorship: Kristin is passionate about teaching and mentoring, sharing her experiences to help others succeed in the tech industry.
Community Engagement: She actively participates in events that celebrate and empower women in technology, such as the Women in Tech conference, demonstrating her commitment to fostering a supportive community for women in the field.

Monalisa Chati

Monalisa Chati, a strategic leader at ServiceNow, blends business operations expertise with a passion for mentoring women in tech. With over a decade at ServiceNow and a Master’s in Management Information Systems from Santa Clara University, she drives innovation while championing diversity.

Empowering Women in Tech

AnitaB.org Leadership: Leads Silicon Valley Chapter, hosting speed mentoring and career workshops. (Women in Big Data)
Career Coaching & Advocacy: Guides students and women of color in navigating tech careers. (Instagram)
Event Organizer: Hosted the AnitaB.org x Women Techmakers International Women’s Day Summit at Google’s Sunnyvale campus. (LinkedIn)

The Importance of International Women’s Day 2025 Leadership