The global theme for International Women’s Day 2026 is “Give to Gain,” a powerful reminder that progress is accelerated through generosity, collaboration, and shared support. The core message is simple: giving—whether it is time, knowledge, resources, or visibility—is not a subtraction; it is an intentional multiplication. When women thrive, communities and future generations rise with them. 

At iRAP, this theme resonates deeply with our mission. Every day, our global partners give their expertise and data so that communities can gain a world free of high-risk roads. This year, instead of launching a new campaign, we are taking a moment to look back and celebrate how the iRAP community has already been living the “Give to Gain” philosophy, and the incredible impact it continues to create.

Giving Opportunities, Gaining Global Leaders 

One of our proudest ongoing initiatives is the Women in Engineering Training Grants. Over recent years, iRAP has offered grants to dozens of female engineers from over 54 countries. 

• The Give: Providing free access to essential capacity-building, including the Star Rating Essentials and Star Rating for Designs courses. 
• The Gain: The road safety industry gains highly skilled, local experts who are actively assessing and designing out high-risk roads in their own communities. 

Giving Wisdom, Gaining Resilience: Insights from our Board 

In 2024, we proudly turned the spotlight on three of our esteemed iRAP Board members who gave their time to share profound career advice. Their insights perfectly embody the ‘Give to Gain’ spirit: 

• Sue Sharland (Former CEO, TRL) reminded us that we can gain effective leadership by giving empathy and respect, proving you can be assertive and effective without aggression. She highlighted the need for flexible paths and workplace allyship to support more women into senior roles. 
• Raquel Barrios (Executive Director, YOURS) shared how stepping into discomfort and trusting her instincts allowed her to gain personal and professional growth. She championed the importance of women giving fresh, diverse perspectives at the decision-making table. 
• Dr. Olive Kobusingye (Global Injury Epidemiologist) spoke powerfully about the need to stop forcing women to choose between family and career. By giving women visibility in leadership, society gains the immense, often invisible strengths women bring—like resilience, compassion, and the ability to multitask. As she noted, the more women girls see in the workplace, the less they question their own potential.

Giving a Platform, Gaining Crucial Perspectives 

We have also prioritized creating spaces to listen to the lived experiences of women on the frontlines of global road safety, such as Nathalie Chiavassa (Safer Journeys Lead, Africa), Samar Abouraad (Safer Journeys Specialist, Europe and the Middle East), and Judy Williams (Global Programme & Communications Manager). 

• The Give: Amplifying the voices of female leaders driving change in our industry. 
• The Gain: A vital understanding of the intersection between road infrastructure and women’s empowerment. Designing roads for women’s safety—particularly as pedestrians and public transport users—unlocks their access to education, healthcare, and employment. 

Giving Data a Gender Lens, Gaining Inclusive Safety 

The iRAP methodology is powered by data to save lives. However, data is most powerful when viewed through an inclusive lens. As our Global Innovation Manager, Monica Olyslagers, has previously highlighted, there is a critical need to look at transport safety from a gender perspective. 

• The Give: Applying our Star Rating methodology to specifically target the safety of vulnerable road users—pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. 
• The Gain: Because women often perform care-giving roles and rely more heavily on walking and micro-mobility, focusing our data on vulnerable road users and these modes ensures we gain a transport network that truly protects everyone. 

The Ripple Effect of Shared Knowledge 

From the fact that over half of the iRAP team are women, to the daily mentoring and collaboration that happens across our global partner network, the spirit of “Give to Gain” is woven into our DNA. 

This International Women’s Day, we invite our entire #RAPcommunity to reflect: How will you share your knowledge, open a door, or support a female colleague this year? Because when we give to each other, we all gain safer roads.