The Invisible Hurdles Women Still Face at Work
The “Little Things” That Aren’t So Little
A quiet reality that shapes careers more than we think
For many women, working hard has never been the problem.
Showing up, delivering results, going the extra mile, that part we’ve got down.
What’s harder to talk about are the other things.
The quiet things.
The things that don’t show up on paper but weigh just as heavily on your progress.
They’re not always obvious.
They’re rarely spoken out loud.
But they shape how women are seen, treated, and promoted every single day.
So, what are these invisible hurdles?
They’re the subtle double standards that ask women to be confident, but not too confident.
Firm, but still warm.
High-achieving, but also humble, helpful, and liked.
They show up when:
You’re interrupted mid-sentence, only to have your idea repeated moments later
You’re asked to organise the team lunch… again
You change the tone of an email three times so it doesn’t come across “too blunt”
You’re praised for being “supportive,” but passed over for being strategic
None of these things scream discrimination.
But they quietly tell women, over time, that showing up as themselves isn’t quite enough or worse, it’s too much.
It’s not just gender, it’s layers
For many women, these challenges intersect with other parts of their identity.
If you're a woman of color, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, or working in a space where you're the "only one" these hurdles don’t just multiply. They compound.
You may find yourself constantly translating, adjusting, or explaining — not because you’re not qualified, but because you don’t fit the unspoken template of what “leadership” or “professional” is supposed to look like.
These experiences can leave even the most capable professionals questioning themselves.
Why this matters:
Invisible hurdles don’t just impact confidence, they impact careers.
They influence:
Who speaks up in meetings
Who gets access to mentorship
Who is trusted with leadership
Who gets to grow, and who stays stuck
They affect not just how others see you, but how you begin to see yourself.
And most importantly, they shape how safe and sustainable it feels to keep showing up fully in your role.
So what can be done?
There’s no quick fix. But there is power in awareness.
We can start by:
Talking honestly about the invisible expectations many women carry
Questioning the assumptions that go unchecked in meetings, reviews, and conversations
Making space for new models of leadership, communication, and success
Checking in on the women in the room who are doing more than their job description
And for women navigating these spaces every day:
You’re not imagining it.
You’re not overthinking it.
You’re not too much.
You’re moving through systems that weren’t built for you, and still showing up with strength, intelligence, and clarity. That’s not something to downplay. It’s something to name and honour.
We all benefit from workplaces where people don’t have to fight unseen battles just to be heard.
And it starts by making the invisible… visible.
