For more than a decade, women in tech have been given the same advice.
Be more confident.
Speak up more.
Put yourself forward.
Ask for what you want.
Many do exactly that and still find themselves overlooked for progression, influence, and pay.
This video examines why.
It looks beyond individual behaviour and into the structural and cultural dynamics that shape who is heard, who is trusted, and whose work is recognised, even inside organisations that genuinely believe they operate on merit.
The problem isn’t confidence. It’s how systems reward behaviour
Confidence has become a convenient explanation.
When women are underrepresented at senior levels, the assumption is often that something is missing at the individual level. More confidence. More assertiveness. More resilience.
That framing avoids harder questions.
In practice, many workplaces continue to reward:
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Constant availability over sustainable performance
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Informal networks over documented contribution
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Familiar leadership styles over effective ones
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Visibility over value
Women are not failing to adapt. They are navigating systems that were not designed around how their work, time, and responsibilities actually operate.
The invisible factors shaping women’s careers in tech
In the video, we unpack factors that rarely appear in job descriptions or performance frameworks, yet quietly influence outcomes:
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Invisible work that keeps teams functioning but is rarely recognised
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Emotional labour that disproportionately falls to women
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Decision-making that happens outside formal structures
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Bias in how leadership potential is perceived and described
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The career cost of flexibility, care responsibilities, or not fitting the dominant mould
Individually, these are easy to dismiss.
Collectively, they compound year after year.
This is how capable women become indispensable but not promotable.
Why this matters now
As organisations face economic pressure and quietly scale back diversity and inclusion commitments, these dynamics do not disappear. They intensify.
Women are expected to absorb more complexity, stabilise teams, and remain reliable under strain, often without increased authority or leverage.
This is not only a fairness issue. It is a retention, performance, and risk issue for businesses that rely on experienced technical and operational talent.
Moving the conversation forward
If different outcomes are the goal, the focus has to shift.
Away from repeatedly asking women to adapt.
Towards examining how work is designed, evaluated, and rewarded.
This video is part of a wider body of work exploring:
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How invisible work accumulates and limits progression
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Why being seen as “reliable” can stall careers
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How women can build leverage without burning out
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What organisations need to change if they want equity to last
Watch the video above for the full discussion.
More analysis, tools, and practical resources will follow.
If this reflects your experience, you’re not alone.
Girl Geek Network exists to make these patterns visible and to help women and organisations navigate them with clarity, not self-blame.