The Studio: Celebrating Women – This International Women’s Day (and Every Day).

Sunday 8^th March 2026, marks International Women’s Day. It’s a time to reflect on the progress we have made towards gender equality so far, and to recommit to the work still ahead.

For thestudio it’s also a chance to celebrate something we are genuinely proud of: the women who lead, shape and drive our business every single day.

The hospitality industry is known for having women, as a large part of the workforce and thestudio is no different. From our front of house teams creating a seamless start to the customer journey, to all our co-ordinators, managers and amazing event staff who bring events to life behind the scenes, we are lucky to have some brilliant women working with us.

One of the statistics we are very proud of is that 5 out of our 9 senior leadership team are women, that’s 56%. In a society where female representation at leadership level is still lagging to that of men, we think it’s important to show our commitment to supporting women in achieving everything they want to in their careers.

We believe that leadership should reflect the workplace it leads and the clients we serve. Having women in senior roles isn’t a quota or checkbox for us, it’s the result of recognising talent, fostering ambition and creating an environment where women can genuinely progress.

Women in the UK earn less than average than men, which also widens significantly after having children. Equal pay is important to us; we make sure the women in our business earn the same as men.

We’ve supported many women over the years reach their dream jobs, often unrelated to the jobs they started, including receptionist to Finance Manager and Sales co-ordinator to Head of HR, by listening to them, giving them the opportunity to try new things and supporting with the training needed to get them to where they wanted to be.

We know that rigid working structures disproportionately affect women, particularly those with caring responsibilities. The ‘motherhood penalty’ means that women often report that their careers and earnings often stall after having children, and other caring responsibilities often fall on women also. That’s why flexible hours and contracts aren’t something we offer reluctantly, they are built into how we work. The ‘motherhood penalty’ means that women often report that their careers and earnings often stall after having children, and other caring responsibilities often fall on women also.

We have team members, including a director of the business, who work part time after having children. We are proud that returning to work after having a family doesn’t mean leaving ambition at the door. In our business you can be a brilliant leader, events assistant, chef or co-ordinator and be present for the moments that matter at home.

We offer all our staff access to our employee’s assistance programme, giving access to confidential mental health support, financial guidance and personal wellbeing resources. We know life doesn’t stop when you are at work and we want every member of our team to feel supported as a whole person, not just an employee. Women often need extra support due to issues such a financial difficulty, due to relationship breakdowns, menopause and other physical issues that relate to women’s bodies. Our wellbeing app has tailored support for these types of issues.

This International Women’s Day, we’re not just marking the occasion, we are using it as a moment to reflect what we are doing well and where we can go further. We remain committed to flexible working, supporting women in working less, during those periods such school holidays if they need it, inclusive leadership and creating a workplace where every women on our team can thrive.

To all the women who make thestudio a great place to work, thank you!