It’s Not About Fixing Women, From Programs to Purpose & Ops

Recently, I met a senior woman leader who shared a powerful reflection that stayed with me. She recalled attending a women’s development program centered around self-reflection and personal growth.

While the program was well-intentioned, she found herself unable to connect with many of the conversations — stories about life after marriage, the challenges of motherhood, and managing work–life balance.

As a single woman, she felt invisible in a space designed to empower women. This moment captures a deeper issue: many women’s development programs, though thoughtfully curated, often become exercises in tokenism or exclusion. They risk overlooking the diversity of women’s experiences and, in doing so, lose the very impact they aim to create.

Her experience made me reflect more deeply on why so many well-intentioned women’s development programs fail to create meaningful change. As a practitioner, I’ve often seen these programs lose their purpose not because of poor design, but because of misplaced intent and lack of context.

1. Many are curated with a deficit mindset — as if women need to be “fixed” or taught to lead like men. When development becomes corrective rather than empowering, it subtly reinforces the very biases it aims to dismantle. Actual development should help women strengthen their authentic leadership voice, not modify it to fit traditional norms.
2. Context is everything. A global flagship program that works beautifully in one region often falters when replicated elsewhere without adaptation. The organizational culture, functional realities, and local contexts shape how women experience leadership. When programs overlook these nuances, they risk becoming abstract or irrelevant.
3. Women’s leadership journeys are not about men vs. women; the goal is not to imitate but to augment — to help women lead from their core strengths of empathy, collaboration, and authenticity. Leadership is not about power over others, but about power with and power to: the ability to collaborate, make choices freely, and create space for others to lead. True empowerment begins when women stop trying to fit in and start leading from who they are.

The Tripartite of Development Journey

1. Awareness is where it all begins. It’s about pausing to reflect and truly see oneself — as a professional, as a leader, and as a person with purpose. It’s about connecting one’s core values to leadership and evolving an identity that feels authentic and self-driven. When women begin to see themselves as leaders, transformation starts from within.
2.  Confidence — not in the superficial sense of appearing bold, but in the more profound understanding of one’s motivation to pursue larger roles. This confidence is best built through coaching and support grounded in workplace realities, helping women navigate ambition with clarity and conviction.
3.  Expertise — the ongoing process of building and honing leadership skills such as networking, negotiation, communication, and resilience. These capabilities enable women to lead effectively and to make their presence felt in spaces where they might once have been unseen.

However, before rushing to design interventions, it’s worth asking a fundamental question: Do women really need another development program, or do they need more opportunities? Too often, interventions assume a gap in women’s readiness rather than in the system that surrounds them.

Second-generation gender bias — a more subtle, modern form of bias. Unlike deliberate exclusion, it stems from ingrained cultural assumptions, organizational structures, and everyday interactions that unconsciously favor men. These invisible barriers—limited role models, gendered career paths, and lack of access to networks or sponsors—quietly hold women back.

A standalone program cannot dismantle these biases. It must be woven into the organization’s culture, processes, and systems to succeed truly. That means:

• Creating real opportunities for women across functions and levels, breaking the notion of “gendered” roles.
• Building a culture of inclusion and psychological safety, where women can express ambition without judgment and where being driven is normalized. We often talk about safe classrooms, but what about safe workplaces? Psychological safety should not end when the session does.
• Adopting progressive practices — it’s time to stop asking, “Is she ready for the role?” Research shows that organizations give men opportunities when they are only 70–80% ready. If a woman has reached that point, her capability to stretch should be enough evidence that she’s prepared to lead.

Integrate the development program with the ecosystem to ensure its success. Managers need to be aligned, invested, and accountable for creating opportunities. Thoughtfully curate forums to enhance exposure and visibility.

In my own journey, sponsors have played a defining role. They built my confidence, opened doors, and shaped my career in ways I couldn’t have on my own. Sponsorship is not just about supporting; it’s about belief in action.

Finally, policies matter. They form the framework of systemic change — enabling women to take on challenging roles without being burdened by structural or logistical hurdles.

Women must own their journeys. Participation in a development program should be a choice, not a checkbox. Growth happens when a woman decides to invest her time, energy, and intent into shaping her own career — not because she was nominated, but because she is ready to lead her own story.

A woman’s development program succeeds not through design brilliance but through genuine connection — with women’s realities, with the organization’s culture, and with the intent behind it.

Development is not about fixing women; it’s about creating systems and spaces that allow them to rise as their authentic selves. When awareness builds purpose, confidence fuels aspiration, and expertise shapes capability, women don’t just participate — they lead.

True inclusion happens when organizations stop viewing women’s development as an initiative and start embracing it as a way of being. Because when women own their journeys, supported by belief, opportunity, and sponsorship, they don’t just grow — they transform the ecosystem around them.

References- Ibarra, Ely, Kolb, Bezrukova, Spell, Perry, Jehn, Meyerson, Gardiner, Chur-Hansen, Turnbull, Semmler, Lee, Tackett, Skarupski, Forbush, Fivush, Oliva-Hemker, and Levine

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