Today is International Women's Day - a time when we celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

The annual celebration dates back to 1908, when 15,000 women marched in New York City to call for better pay, shorter working hours and the vote.

Fast forward to more than a century later, and depressingly there is still a lot to do. Even within our own sector - AdTech - in which less than a third of the workforce is female (source: Office of National Statistics).

The focus for this year's celebration is 'breaking the bias', where we move past simply acknowledging our bias, stereotypes and discrimination, but start forging a world where difference is valued and celebrated.

It's something we feel passionately about at Good-Loop. So to celebrate this year's International Women's Day, we asked the team to shout out the women who have inspired them throughout their careers.

Below is who they put forward. Of course, feel free to suggest your own examples on our socials.

Cadi Jones, Commercial Director EMEA at Beeswax

"I worked with Cadi at The Guardian seven years ago when she was establishing the Pangaea Alliance, an initiative that united multiple quality and innovative publishers. She brought with her a vibrancy and passion that was addictive; a specialist who was only too happy to share knowledge, offer encouragement and guide the team through the minefield of programmatic.

When I came to leave The Guardian in 2019, it was Cadi I reached out to. She invited me to Beeswax's London HQ and for two hours helped me to focus on what was important to me in terms of my next step. We worked through company values that were essential, ideas, ambitions and helped me define my own personal set of values. Had it not been for her generosity of time and encouragement, I wouldn't be at Good-Loop. Two years on, I'm as happy as a clam!"

Submitted by Claire Gleeson-Landry, Head of GroupM & Havas Partnerships

Francesca Trotman, Founder of Love The Oceans

"Francesca founded Love The Oceans after seeing the shocking reality of unsustainable shark fishing off the coast of Africa. Since founding the non-profit in 2014, it has since gone from strength-to-strength and continues making a tangible impact on the local community in Jangamo, Mozambique, and for oceans as a whole.

Francesca inspired me throughout my journey at Love The Oceans, as I grew from a student rep, to a field specialist and then to a fundraising assistant. I really look forward to seeing how her organisation continues to grow as she works tirelessly to save our oceans."

Submitted by Hannah Williams, Impact Manager

Luiza Helena Trajano, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors at Magazine Luiza

"I have to mention a Brazilian entrepreneur called Luiza Helena Trajano. She's president of one of the biggest chain retailers in Brazil.

Her vision and drive to fight against social issues in Brazil using her power and influence has done so much good for the country. She was a powerful voice during the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly for her efforts in bringing in more vaccines, and has also been a fierce advocate for women suffering from domestic violence - an issue that increased a lot during this period. She is a powerful female voice in a country where sexism is so deeply rooted in society and is incredibly inspirational for all of us."

Submitted by Carol Ratti, Software QA Officer

Louise Tullin, CMO at Enthuse

"I worked with Louise at my old company, Unruly, for years and she basically taught me everything I know about marketing. She's incredibly driven and hard-working, very smart and a good friend."

Submitted by David Waterhouse, Communications Director

Cindy Gallop, Founder & CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn

"WHAT A WOMAN! I find Cindy so inspiring because she normalises being your authentic self. It's this brilliant attitude that filters through everything she's involved with. Whether it's a talk or her approach to porn!

Representation matters, whether that's on TV or from key speakers, and Cindy represents women who don't identify with the 'normal' society concept of a female . Having a role model like Cindy to look up to has made me feel seen and my choices on how I choose to live my life feel justified."

Submitted by Natasha Taylor, UK Sales Manager

Sarah Breedlove, Founder of Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company

"I find Sarah Breedlove ( Madam C. J. Walker ) inspiring, not just because of her incredibly acuity as a business strategist and leader, but also for the sheer tenacity and strength of character to accomplish what she did within the social context of the time (slavery was barely abolished two years before she was born).

She started her business at the age of 38 as a widowed AND divorced single mother in a brand new city and in a brand new state... eventually becoming America's first self-made female millionaire. AND she empowered literally thousands of black women along the way with jobs and education, on top of providing a tailored product.

Submitted by Jen Clark, Business Manager

Persis Foster Eames Albee, Founder of Avon

"I don't particularly like multi-level marketing. However, I would like to put forward Persis Foster Eames Albee, who I admire for creating it. While much has since changed, I think the motives for creating it were good: to open up sales to more people; to empower people who had largely been excluded from these jobs (women); and to replace autocratic organisation with a more organic approach. Also, to take scant resources and stretch them to achieve something bigger, which I also admire."

Submitted by Daniel Winterstein, CTO

Past and present, there are so many examples of women smashing their goals and breaking through boundaries.

Thank you to all those listed and to everyone who shared their inspirations. Every story shared helps to #breakthebias.