Despite increasing dialogue around gender equality, the reality for women in business remains challenging. According to McKinsey & Company, the proportion of women in senior roles has barely shifted in recent years, even as organisations publicly commit to equality.
From the gender pay gap to structural exclusion from leadership tracks, barriers to women’s career advancement remain deeply embedded across sectors – especially in science, tech, and life sciences.
This article explores six key obstacles preventing women from progressing professionally, offering insight into why these challenges persist – and how we begin to address them.
1. Social Conditioning and the Confidence Gap
From a young age, many women are conditioned to be nurturing, deferential, and selfless — qualities which, while positive, can conflict with traditional business expectations of assertiveness and self-promotion.
Women are also still far more likely to shoulder household and caregiving responsibilities. This impacts availability for late meetings, international travel, or high-visibility projects often seen as stepping stones to leadership.
Psychologically, research suggests women are more risk-averse than men when it comes to salary negotiation and high-stakes opportunities — a key contributor to the gender pay gap.
A Hewlett Packard study found that men apply for roles when they meet 60% of the criteria. Women wait until they meet 100%. [1]
Until organisations value diverse leadership styles — and society supports shared domestic roles — this internalised barrier will persist.
2. Pushback for Being Pushy
Assertiveness in men is often seen as a leadership trait. In women, it’s still too often labelled as “pushy” or “difficult.” This double standard discourages women from speaking up, negotiating, or challenging decisions.
Women who do advocate for fair pay or progression may risk negative judgments or exclusion from decision-making circles.
Employers must provide clear, fair pay frameworks and foster a culture where challenge and transparency are encouraged for all.
3. Exclusion from Corporate Culture
Many women still feel on the margins of traditional corporate environments. From male-dominated leadership to informal “boys’ club” dynamics, exclusion from key conversations or networking events limits access to opportunity.
This also plays out in pay discussions, promotions, and leadership nominations — often conducted behind closed doors, without input from or visibility for women.
Companies with inclusive corporate cultures see higher engagement and lower attrition. Diversity and belonging aren’t just ethical choices — they’re business-critical. [2]
Until leadership teams represent a more diverse range of experiences, the system will remain unequal.
4. Guilt and the ‘Motherhood Penalty’
Societal expectations continue to guilt women about career ambition — especially those who are mothers. Questions like “But what about your family?” or assumptions that maternity leave signals career disinterest still persist.
This emotional labour — and the judgment it attracts — leads many women to hold back or self-select out of advancement tracks.
On the flip side, women who don’t have children often face the assumption that they’ll be more available — which can lead to burnout or overcommitment.
Workplaces must normalise flexible working, value diverse life paths, and stop treating motherhood as a liability.
5. Discrimination and Bias
While many organisations have diversity statements, lived experiences can be very different. In male-dominated sectors, overt and subtle gender bias continues to undermine women’s advancement.
From being spoken over in meetings to missing out on mentorship, these daily micro-inequities compound over time.
Discrimination doesn’t have to be deliberate to be damaging. Silence in the face of bias is complicity.
Employers must actively prevent discrimination — not just by policy, but through leadership modelling, feedback loops, and accountability.
6. The Glass Ceiling Still Exists
The glass ceiling – an invisible yet very real barrier – still prevents many women from reaching senior executive roles.
According to Deloitte, while over half of entry-level roles in life sciences are filled by women, only 22% of C-suite roles are held by women. [3]
The cost of ignoring this? Talent loss, reduced innovation, and cultures that fail to reflect or serve modern markets.
Breaking the glass ceiling isn’t about fixing women — it’s about fixing systems.
That includes rethinking how leadership potential is identified, how mentorship is distributed, and how success is defined.
Final Thoughts
Career progression for women doesn’t stall because of lack of ambition – it stalls because of structural, cultural, and behavioural barriers that persist in workplaces worldwide.
The good news? These are barriers we can dismantle. With conscious leadership, fair systems, and inclusive cultures, we can ensure the next generation of women rise without limits.