#IWD2026: Creative Women - Tamima Mulla-Shah

International Women’s Day (IWD) is an annual global event celebrating women and their achievements.  First initiated in 1911, IWD has since grown into a global movement encouraging us to stand up for a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world, free of discrimination and stereotypes.

This year's campaign theme is GiveToGain, which explores how giving our support can help advance gender equality as well as reinforce a sense of connection and purpose.

Creative Lancashire has a long history of supporting International Women’s Day, with a special campaign and Conversations in Creativity event every year. As part of our #IWD2026 "Creative Women" Series, we posed three questions relating to this year's theme to our four featured women. 

Meet Tamima Mulla-Shah, the Regional Director of IN4Group.

Tamima is one of the special guests participating in our Conversations in Creativity panel discussion on Friday 6th March 2026 at The Harris Museum in Preston.

Let's find out more about Tamima and her thoughts on giving to gain, resiliency, and supporting others.

Giving to Gain in Real Life

The IWD 2026 theme is Give to Gain. What does this idea of reciprocity and generosity mean in your own work or leadership, and how have you seen it create ripple effects beyond you?

For me, Give to Gain is the essence of values based leadership: the idea that when you create opportunities for others, you don’t lose anything, you multiply what’s possible. 

In my work, generosity shows up most in how I try to lead with openness, share knowledge freely, and invest time in lifting others as they navigate their own journeys.

I’ve learned that when you give without expecting anything in return, whether that’s mentorship, space, visibility, or simply honest encouragement, people feel seen and supported in a way that fuels their confidence and ambition. That shift often creates a ripple effect: they then go on to champion others, open doors, and build community in their own way. It becomes a chain reaction of empowerment.

In Lancashire, I see this play out constantly. When women are offered trust, real responsibility, and a platform to grow, they take that support and amplify it - not just for themselves, but for their teams, their families, and the communities around them. 

The “gain” is never individual; it’s cultural. You start to see stronger collaboration, more diverse leadership, and environments where people feel safe to challenge norms and bring forward new ideas.

So for me, Give to Gain is about understanding that when support is intentional and sustained, women don’t just thrive; whole systems shift for the better 

On Challenges, Resilience & Support

Looking back, what were some of the key challenges or moments of resistance you faced in your career journey and what types of support, encouragement, or belief helped you continue despite them?

When I look back at my journey, the biggest challenges often weren’t about capability, they were about being underestimated, being the “only one in the room,” or navigating systems that were not built with women in mind. 

Early on, I frequently had to prove my value twice before being trusted once. There were moments of resistance where I had to push through assumptions about who should lead, how leadership should look, or whose voice was worth listening to.

What helped me persevere wasn’t just internal resilience, it was the people who saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself. I was fortunate to have mentors who created space for me to grow, leaders who encouraged me to speak up even when it felt uncomfortable, and peers who reminded me that my perspective wasn’t just valid but needed.

I also learned the power of building my own community. 

When you surround yourself with people who champion you, challenge you, and hold you accountable to your potential, it becomes easier to navigate resistance with clarity instead of self doubt.

Another important factor was giving myself permission to step into rooms I didn’t feel fully ready for. This has seen my biggest growth. 

The belief others had in me helped me shift my own mindset from “Why me?” to “Why not me?” And once you experience that, you start to advocate not only for your place at the table, but for others who deserve to be there too.

Those moments of resistance have now made me someone who wants to remove barriers rather than reinforce them, and someone who values creating the type of support and belief for others that made all the difference for me.

Lifting Others As We Rise

How do you actively create space, opportunity, or visibility for others through your work, and what would you love to see more people ‘give’ to support the next generation of women and creatives?

Creating space for others is one of the most intentional parts of my leadership. 

I’ve learned that opportunity isn’t always about big gestures, sometimes it’s about the everyday choices we make to include, amplify, and trust people. 

In my work, that looks like: 

• Inviting new voices into discussions where their perspective can influence real decisions. 
• Making sure recognition is shared rather than hoarded.  
• Opening doors that were once closed or hard to access.

I try to be deliberate about visibility, and I am fortunate my role allows me to work on programmes which have been created to support those from underrepresented backgrounds: putting women forward for projects, platforms, and conversations they may not have considered themselves ready for, but where their talent will shine. 

What I’d love to see more people give is something incredibly powerful and often overlooked: access. Often, all someone needs is for someone else to say, “You belong here. Take the space.” The confidence that comes from that simple act can completely change a person’s trajectory.

Our vision statement at IN4 Group is “Fair Access to Technology Futures” and all of our programmes provide fair access, and tech is the enabler.

This vision provides our learners with access to networks, opportunities, mentorship, information, funding, and visibility. 

Too many talented women and creatives do exceptional work behind the scenes, but without someone willing to open a door, their impact stays hidden.

When established leaders intentionally give access - not just advice, but actual pathways - the next generation doesn’t just grow, they accelerate. And when they accelerate, our industries, communities, and cultures move forward with them.

Ultimately, creating space is about generosity with power. It’s about giving others the platform to step into their own greatness, not because it benefits you, but because it strengthens the whole ecosystem. 

That’s what I hope to model, and what I hope becomes the norm for all of us.

Find out more about Tamima's work at IN4Group:

Website: in4group.co.uk

Programme: Mums in Data (The Power of MIND)

Programme: The Creative Engine

Programme: FreelanceHer

Instagram:@in4group

Images and video provided by IN4Group.

International Women's Day occurs globally on 8 March to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.

IWD is not country, group or organisation specific, it belongs to all groups collectively everywhere who champion equality, diversity and inclusivity.

www.internationalwomensday.com

This year’s IWD theme is #GiveToGain. 

Giving requires open hearts and minds. As individuals, giving support means calling out stereotypes, challenging discrimination, questioning bias, celebrating women's success, and more.

Sharing our knowledge and encouragement with others is also key. Giving our support to help advance gender equality reinforces a sense of connection and purpose.

This creates an important ripple effect for spreading positive impacts for everyone.