The financial services sector is certainly making progress, but it’s not yet enough. It’s true that there are more women in leadership roles than there were a decade ago, and initiatives like the Women in Finance Charter have encouraged firms to set diversity targets, but we still have a way to go.

Women, particularly those in senior positions, are still severely underrepresented and the gender pay gap remains a serious issue.

According to both research and anecdotal evidence, women still need to work far harder than men in order to progress. Much of this is a result of women feeling they need to prove themselves, but we cannot ignore that there is still too much unconscious bias in the workplace.

I know from personal experience that women do need to work harder than their male counterparts, and feel this is an area we really need to address.

There has been an increase in the number of women in leadership roles; at Together we now have three women in our c-suite, so change is definitely happening.

In addition, mandatory gap reporting has helped in identifying where there are issues, giving companies the insights they need to address them. This is not just to score diversity points, but to encourage a wider range of skills and opinions that will benefit companies hugely.

We need to see more firms making a conscious effort to create an inclusive work culture, one that outlines clear actions to combat unconscious bias. It needs to be more than token gestures, it needs to be a combined movement to engage colleagues and get them on board.

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Crucially, firms need to understand the importance of the next generation. There needs to be a large focus on attracting the young women of the future; we must nurture and develop them to achieve their goals. We need to see companies offering career pathways to women, with better return to work schemes and improved mentorship.

At Together, we take our commitments to women very seriously. We are also about to host our third Women in Finance event, where we continue our commitment to educating women across the industry and opening up awareness of specific topics. We aim to build on these events every year, discussing where the sector is and how we can all support better.

Creating a diverse, safe and successful business is everyone’s responsibility and something we encourage at Together. We have made a number of commitments to ensure everybody has the opportunity to make an impact, not just on International Women’s Day, but every day.

We host numerous internal workshops and training, exploring how best we can support each other, understanding what it means to be a good ally and challenging ourselves to be aware of unconscious bias. We encourage an environment where everyone feels included.

Together has a number of platforms that support gender equality, such as our Women@Together committee and Women in Tech, to keep our approach current and understand the needs of our colleagues and communities.

With recruitment and progression for women still a concerning issue across the industry, we have been exploring how best to address it at Together. We have a talent spotting team, dedicated to identifying and nurturing the development of women with high potential, and we encourage our colleagues to have conversations around ambition and development, while recognising the value each of them brings.