Beyond The Cupcakes: Why Your IWD Celebration Might Be Missing The Mark

International Women’s Day (IWD) has long been a staple on the corporate calendar, but new data suggests that for many Canadian women, the “celebration” is starting to ring hollow. According to a national survey released this morning by Benchmark Benefits, there is a significant gap between the symbolic gestures brands prepare and the substantive support women actually need to thrive at work.

The findings are a wake-up call for leadership: 64% of women believe employers treat IWD as a celebration rather than an opportunity to assess real support, and 83% state that tangible workplace benefits and policies matter far more than symbolic recognition.

We’re sitting down with Gisela Carere, President of Benchmark Benefits, to discuss why “International Women’s Day should be a checkpoint, not a checkbox”. From the retention risks of performative DEI to the launch of a new, free employer self-assessment tool, Gisela explains how organizations can move from intentions to actual impact. —Noa Nichol

Your data shows 64 per cent of women believe employers treat IWD as a mere celebration rather than a time for assessment; how do we stop the “symbolic” culture and turn this day into a mandatory audit of how companies actually support women?

International Women’s Day, at its core, was meant to be a day of recognition, emerging from labour movements and advocating for women’s rights. But in 2026, it has come to the point where many companies and brands are using the holiday for marketing purposes exclusively, stripping away a lot of the symbolism. The pendulum has swung too far, and we need to bring it back, not on an individual level, but systemically, starting with companies.

Organizations can do this by making a commitment to actively review and ensure that support for women remains agile and is continuously evolving. Policies must be open to change where needed; they should not be set in stone. Supporting women in the workplace must become a part of organizations’ ongoing KPIs, just like profit is, with tangible metrics and attainable goals.

You’ve mentioned your goal is to call companies in rather than out; when 83 per cent of women say they value tangible policies over symbolic gestures, how do you convince a CEO that transparency is a competitive advantage rather than a risk?

I am a huge proponent of growth. We cannot look at what someone, or in this case a company, has done in the past and automatically assume that they cannot grow and change to be better. We collectively need to be willing to move forward. This doesn’t mean we are wiping the slate clean of wrongdoings, but it is about finding a path forward to prevent them from happening again.

That said, action needs to be taken. We know that psychological safety is what makes teams stronger, and it starts with transparency. Transparency builds trust, which turns into confidence, where women can share and voice their opinions in a safe workspace.

Leaders as “sensegivers” have the power to proactively clarify and promote accommodation. It fosters alignment for women and the company’s productivity as a whole. It creates a culture of openness, elevation, change and growth.

Benchmark Benefits just launched a free online employer self-assessment tool; what is the one “hard truth” most companies discover about their own gaps the moment they receive their tailored recommendations?

We’re really excited to offer organizations the opportunity to “benchmark” what they’re currently offering women against what is actually needed to truly support them. I think many companies will be surprised by their results. When gaps appear, we’re happy to review the findings and provide actionable solutions to help them get where they need to be.

One of the hardest truths many organizations discover over time is that offering an “off-the-shelf” benefits product can sometimes do more harm than good. Creating a thoughtful, organization-specific benefits package will go much further in the long run.

With the “retention risks of performative DEI” being a major talking point, what happens to a company’s culture when women realize the IWD social media post doesn’t match the reality of their benefits package?

This can be incredibly tough to reconcile for women who feel like they aren’t being supported and then to be celebrated externally. It can lead to disengagement and a lack of trust from employees. But consumers are getting savvier than ever and can sniff out poor self-promotion better than ever before, which can ultimately lead to a lack of credibility and, as a whole, hurt the company’s reputation.

75 per cent of women want companies to be open about how they actually support female employees; in 2026, what does a “radically transparent” benefits summary look like, and why are so many firms still afraid to publish it?

A radically transparent benefits summary starts with open dialogue. It means companies are not just listing benefits, but actively sharing how they support women and inviting ongoing feedback through town halls, surveys, and small group discussions. These forums allow organizations to engage directly with female employees, understand their experiences and close representational gaps by aligning benefits with the real needs and values of their workforce.

Many firms are still hesitant to publish this kind of transparency because benefits are often viewed as an expensive add-on to a total rewards package. When benefits are seen purely as a cost, organizations may be reluctant to highlight them or discuss where gaps exist. The mindset needs to shift toward recognizing that strong, unique and inclusive benefit plans empower women (and frankly, all employees) and help build a workforce that thrives. When companies view benefits as an investment in their people rather than an expense, transparency becomes a strategic advantage that ultimately supports the broader success of the organization.

We often talk about the wage gap, but your research highlights “dissatisfaction with tangible workplace benefits and policies”; what are the specific, non-salary benefits that women are currently craving most to stay in the workforce?

Women are increasingly looking for benefits that support the realities of their lives beyond salary and the most consistent theme is flexibility. Hard stop. Flexibility to care for themselves as they move through different stages of life is critical. When women have the space to prioritize their own well-being, they are better able to show up fully at work and in their personal lives, whether that means caring for children, supporting aging parents, or managing other responsibilities.

Financial health is another key area. Women want the right coverage and support to help them navigate the many changes that come with womanhood. These transitions are meaningful and often beautiful, but they can also bring real challenges that require thoughtful benefits and policies.

If organizations want to retain women in the workforce, they need to recognize these needs and respond accordingly. We are at risk of losing incredible talent, and the time to act is now, tomorrow and every day after.

As brands prepare their IWD messaging this week, what are the most critical KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) an employer should measure to prove they are moving beyond celebration and actually measuring impact?

As brands prepare their International Women’s Day messaging, employers should focus on measurable indicators that demonstrate real progress, not just celebration. Key KPIs include female retention and promotion rates, progress in closing the gender pay gap, and benefits usage, such as how often employees are accessing flexible leave that supports different life stages. Engagement scores around inclusive accommodations are also important, as they help reveal whether employees feel genuinely supported.

Together, these metrics show whether organizations are moving beyond messaging and into meaningful action. They connect leadership with outcomes by clarifying how support systems are actually working in practice. When employers measure and evolve these programs, they are better positioned to retain incredible talent, strengthen company-wide productivity and support the long-term financial health of their organizations by empowering women to thrive at every stage.

Your survey shows that for the vast majority of women, policies matter more than gestures; how can employees use your new assessment tool to spark a productive conversation with their HR departments?

Employees can use the assessment tool as a starting point to create open and constructive dialogue with their HR teams. At its core, it’s about building psychological safety and making the “uncomfortable” conversations more comfortable. The tool gives women a clearer framework to articulate their experiences and the realities they face in the workplace.

Ultimately, it’s about giving women their voices back so they can speak to their unique realities and collaborate with their organizations to create policies that truly support them.

You argue that transparency is becoming a competitive advantage; are you seeing a shift where top-tier female talent is now vetting a company’s benefits transparency before even accepting an interview?

Absolutely. As women, we tend to have a very strong understanding of the lives we lead both in the boardroom and outside of it. To be able to reach our full potential, we need the right benefits in place to act as tools to support us in our many facets of life. We can’t ignore what we go through in the pursuit of career success.

If we were to sit down next International Women’s Day, what one systemic shift do you hope your self-assessment tool will have triggered across the Canadian corporate landscape?

Normalize the conversation. We need to do better now. We have come a long way, but as our younger generations follow, there is much work to be done. IWD really has no meaning unless the words are meaningfully turned into measurable change that attracts and retains talent aligned with women’s peak productivity.