Give to Gain: How five women are redefining opportunity

Moslama Maya

Rewriting the Field Narrative

For Moslama Maya, the defining turning point in her career came when she was entrusted with leadership responsibility in leaf operations, a space where women have traditionally been underrepresented.

The opportunity was not symbolic. It came with sponsorship, exposure and the expectation to lead in a demanding field environment. Establishing credibility in technical discussions and navigating long-standing norms required resilience, particularly in the early years. But the organization's emphasis on performance, potential and values over stereotypes proved decisive.

She describes the experience as a lived expression of "Give to Gain." When women are given access and trust, she believes, organizations gain stronger leaders and more resilient teams.

Today, she channels that conviction into mentoring women, advocating for inclusive talent decisions and supporting platforms such as Women in BAT Leaf. Her advice to young women is direct: believe in your voice, step into opportunities even when they feel uncomfortable, and lift others as you rise. Leadership, in her view, is less about perfection and more about courage and impact.

Syeda Adiba Arif

Growing through change

Syeda Adiba Arif attributes much of her growth to leaders who took bold bets on her and empowered her. In six years, she has taken on six roles across three countries, an experience that has defined her career.

She joined BAT as a fresh graduate, where she learned how to bring structure to her ideas without being boxed into a mold. Even as the least experienced person in the room, she never felt her voice was discounted. As she moved across various roles, increasing autonomy and accountability gave her the space to learn from mistakes.

Comfort, she reflects, offers a stable floor but also a ceiling. As someone who aspires to build a global career, she recognizes that discomfort often builds the agility required to navigate new environments, roles and leadership styles.

Constant transitions can take a toll, but she felt cushioned by the guidance of peers and mentors she found along the way.

Now leading her own team, Adiba intentionally fosters that environment for her team - one that stretches their capabilities, builds ownership and boosts confidence, while staying close enough to guide without directing.

Her advice to young women: choose a partner who elevates your sense of self-worth, friends who lift your spirits, and a network that challenges you to dream bigger.

Shamroze Abedin

Redefining Balance and Belonging

For Shamroze Abedin, the most pivotal support in her career was not a single role, but the understanding she received from colleagues and her personal circle when she needed to recalibrate between work and family.

She rejects the notion of daily perfection in work-life balance. Instead, she sees it as a long-term equation, one that shifts over time. That perspective has shaped how she leads: creating an environment where ambition and personal priorities can coexist without guilt or judgment.

Joining BAT Bangladesh as a mid-career hire brought its own challenge: rebuilding trust and credibility in a new environment. An open and inclusive culture, supported by approachable senior leaders and collaborative peers, helped her establish that foundation quickly.

Her experience across markets such as South Korea and Japan further reinforced her belief that respect and empathy transcend cultural boundaries. Inclusive leadership, she has learned, requires deep listening and thoughtful adaptation without losing core values.

To aspiring women leaders, her message is clear: never question whether you deserve to be where you are. Leadership does not need one repeated archetype; it benefits from different voices, perspectives and styles.

Sadia Hossain

Inclusion in Practice

Sadia Hossain's development has been shaped by cross-functional exposure and coaching. Diverse assignments helped her refine the leadership traits that define her current role, while targeted mentorship provided clarity and direction.

But her most formative learning on inclusion came through international collaboration. Working with colleagues from varied cultural backgrounds reinforced the importance of listening, not just to words, but to context. She learned that agility in communication and sensitivity to cross-cultural norms are essential for inclusive leadership.

Rather than imposing a single leadership style, she has become more deliberate about accommodating different working approaches, particularly in what she calls the "new normal" of increasingly global and hybrid teams.

Her advice to young women is concise but firm: aspire higher with greater self-belief and a growth mindset. In practice, that means seeking new challenges, embracing exposure and remaining open to feedback. She now invests in developing others, passing on the same combination of challenge and support that accelerated her own career.

Sunayna Illin

Leadership Forged Through Responsibility

For Sunayna Illin, the most pivotal support in her career came early, when she joined BAT Bangladesh and was entrusted with significant responsibility from the outset.

The empowerment came with accountability. Being trusted to take ownership strengthened her self-confidence, sharpened her problem-solving abilities and shaped her leadership approach.

One of her biggest hurdles, however, was building a diverse professional network while staying true to herself. In a corporate environment where visibility matters, finding that balance can be difficult. She credits BAT Bangladesh's openness to different perspectives for turning networking from a challenge into a natural extension of her work.

Sunayna's career has also unfolded in quality management, a field that is gradually seeing greater female representation. She credits earlier leaders who helped shift mindsets about women in technical and operational leadership roles, creating the foundation for others to follow.

Today, she aims to continue that progress by fostering environments built on equal opportunity, mentorship and support.

Her advice to young women aspiring to lead is direct: invest relentlessly in your own growth. Master foundational tools, stay curious about emerging technologies and adapt continuously. Breaking the glass ceiling, she believes, requires competence as much as confidence.

The Compounding Effect of Trust: Across these five journeys, "Give to Gain" emerges not as a slogan but as a pattern.

Trust was given in field operations, in cross-functional moves, in international assignments, in mid-career transitions, in moments of personal recalibration. Exposure was extended. Mistakes were allowed. Potential was recognized before it was fully proven.

In return, each leader now invests deliberately in others through mentoring, advocating for inclusive talent decisions, stretching teams, supporting flexible policies and modeling authenticity.

The gains are not abstract. They show up in stronger teams, broader leadership pipelines and a culture where difference is not merely tolerated but valued.

International Women's Day 2026 offers a moment to reflect on progress. But the deeper work lies in sustaining it. When organizations give access, confidence and space to grow, and when leaders pass that forward, the returns compound.

In that sense, "Give to Gain" is less about celebration and more about continuity: a cycle of opportunity that, when maintained with intention, reshapes institutions from within.