Recognise bias in your first thought. Challenge your bias with a second thought.

You see a photo of a female and male and just have a couple of seconds to respond.

Who:
Takes notes during meetings  
Wants to advance their career 
Carries authority 
Takes the lead naturally 
Sees work as an important part of their identity…..

This Sunday, 8 March it is International Women’s Day 2026.  In honour of this, bol launches its Social Impact theme of this year: Unconscious Bias. A theme that invites all of us to pause, reflect and look beyond our first, automatic reactions. 

Every day, we make countless decisions, often faster than we realise. Our brains rely on shortcuts to save time and energy. These are human, but they also shape how we collaborate, lead, and choose under pressure. Who do we listen to first? Whose ideas feel familiar? Which voices get more space? 

By becoming aware of these unconscious patterns, we move from good intentions to informed, conscious action. And that matters, because fairer, more thoughtful decisions help us work better together and perform at our best. 

It takes honesty, courage and vulnerability to make something unconscious visible. Therefore, we are incredibly proud of the colleagues who took part in the scientifically validated Implicit Association Test and shared their experiences on camera. You can watch the video below. Without knowing beforehand what they were participating in and under time pressure, they answered questions about work-related situations, choosing whether a male of female would fit this situation best.  

Our commitment to equality, inclusion, and conscious leadership didn’t start today, and it won’t end here. Over the past years, bol has consistently focused on gender equality and inclusive leadership.  

In 2021, we highlighted female leadership and representation by giving female leaders a platform to share their perspectives and experiences. In 2022, we launched the Through her eyes campaign, raising awareness of biases and challenges women face through storytelling from the perspective of colleagues’ daughters. This commitment continued in 2023 with the external Equals campaign, centered around female role models.In 2024, bol organised a panel discussion about accelerating progress in gender balance, equality, and women in leadership roles. In 2025, we built on this foundation with Flip the script: be an ally, encouraging colleagues to actively support one another and move from awareness to allyship.

With Unconscious Bias as our 2026 theme, we’re taking the next step. Where earlier campaigns focused on visibility, storytelling and allyship, this year we’re zooming in on what happens before action: our first thoughts. 

Because real change doesn’t only come from what we say or do, it also comes from noticing the assumptions we carry with us, often without realising it. By recognising our first thought and creating space for a second thought, we can make conscious change.

International Women’s Day is a starting point, not a finish line. Throughout 2026, we’ll continue to explore unconscious bias together and learn from each other in everyday situations at work through training and conversation.