To mark International Women’s Day 2026, Manchester Young Professionals partnered with Accenture to host an interactive panel event. 

The evening included discussions on how inclusive thinking can drive meaningful change in both our personal and professional lives. Through keynote-style talks, live audience polling and a Q&A session, attendees shared ideas, perspectives and practical actions for creating more inclusive workplaces and communities for women.

The event was hosted by Ella Howells, who guided the discussion across three key pillars: wellbeing, financial wellbeing and the role of AI and technology.

Wellbeing: Protecting Your Balance

Marketing and Brand Consultant Kate Brown spoke about the importance of creating boundaries and protecting wellbeing in a busy professional world.

One of her key habits is taking a non-negotiable lunch break, booking it into her diary to reset and spark creativity.

Kate also reflected on having a “squiggly career,” reminding the audience that success doesn’t always follow a straight path. Moving across roles and industries can open doors to new opportunities and perspectives.

Audience members shared their own non-negotiables, with themes focused on work–life balance and protecting personal time, including desk breaks, free evenings, quality sleep and finishing work on time.

Kate also emphasised the power of community:

“We thrive in collective environments”

She encouraged attendees to invest in relationships with peers, who often become the biggest sources of support and encouragement throughout our careers.

Her final advice was simple but powerful: don’t wait for the perfect moment to try something new. Growth often comes from stepping outside your comfort zone.

Financial Wellbeing: Opening the Conversation

Jane Booth, Director and Wealth & Investment Advisor at UBS, discussed the importance of breaking the taboo for women around money and investing.

She highlighted that many women grow up not discussing finances openly, which can affect confidence around investing later in life. In fact, two-thirds of women do not invest, often due to a lack of knowledge or confidence.

However, Jane explained that women can be strong investors because they tend to think long-term and remain steady during market volatility.

She encouraged the audience to take small but practical steps to improve financial wellbeing:

  • Create a financial plan, just as businesses create strategic plans
  • Understand key tools such as pensions and ISAs
  • Have open conversations about money with partners and friends
  • Start building saving habits, even small amounts can create the right mindset

Jane also shared a powerful statistic highlighting broader gender disparities:

  • For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 72 women are promoted

Her message was clear: confidence, knowledge and open conversations are key to improving financial empowerment.

AI & Technology: Tackling Bias

Lisa Morrison, AI & Data Strategy at Accenture, explored how gender bias can appear in emerging technologies.

Currently, only 42% of AI users identify as women, which can contribute to bias within the systems being developed.

Audience members discussed how AI bias could impact women through issues such as automated hiring systems filtering applications, misinformation about women’s health, and the amplification of harmful or sexualised content.

Lisa encouraged attendees to play an active role in responsible AI use by:

  • Asking for evidence-based responses
  • Testing different AI tools and models
  • Reporting harmful or biased outputs
  • Sharing knowledge with colleagues to raise awareness

Supporting Smart Works Greater Manchester

The event also highlighted the work of Smart Works Greater Manchester, Accenture’s charity partner, which helps unemployed women gain the confidence and clothing they need to succeed at job interviews.

Manchester Young Professionals were proud to support the charity with a £150 donation.

There are several ways individuals and organisations can get involved:

  • Volunteer as an interview coach, stylist or through team volunteering days
  • Organise Bags of Confidence clothing drives for professional workwear
  • Donate event space for workshops or training sessions
  • Support brand donations of clothing and accessories
  • Attend Smart Works events or pop-up sales, including their upcoming sale at Merseyway Shopping Precinct in Stockport
  • Take part in Step Up, their annual fundraising challenge from 1–10 May

You can also support the charity directly by donating or exploring their research on the gendered reality of job seeking:


A huge thank you to our speakers, attendees and partners for helping create an inspiring evening of discussion, learning and connection.

Events like these show how inclusive conversations can spark meaningful change, both individually and collectively. International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the strength, resilience and impact of women across our community. We are proud to create spaces where women can share experiences, support one another and continue pushing for greater inclusion and opportunity.

The conversations from this event were a powerful reminder that when women uplift each other and build strong communities, meaningful change can happen!