In this episode of UpLift Women’s Wellness, we asked a question that’s been echoing across boardrooms, break rooms, and bedrooms: Why are women still shut out of power—even when they’re more than ready to lead?
We didn’t just ask—we answered. With data. With stories. With the kind of truth-telling that makes space for healing and action.
📊 The Numbers Don’t Lie—But They Do Hurt
Despite decades of progress, women remain underrepresented in leadership across nearly every sector:
Only 28% of global leadership roles are held by women
Just 8.8% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women
In tech, women hold 17% of leadership positions, despite making up a growing share of the workforce
Women of color face even steeper cliffs: only 4% of Black women and 3% of Hispanic women reach executive roles
And when women do break through? They’re paid less. Judged more. And expected to carry the emotional weight of the workplace.
💰 The Pay Gap Is Wider Than You Think
In 2025:
Women earn 83 cents for every dollar men make
Mothers earn just 75 cents
Mothers of color fall as low as 64 cents
Even with advanced degrees:
Women with MBAs earn 77 cents compared to their male peers
Women in executive roles earn just 72 cents when unadjusted for job characteristics
🧠 The Emotional Labor Tax
Beyond titles and salaries, many women—especially women of color—carry the invisible weight of emotional labor:
Soothing tension
Monitoring tone
Absorbing microaggressions
Checking in on teammates
Softening the edges of broken systems
This hidden workload often leads to burnout, stagnation, and being penalized for compassion.
🧡 What We Know—and What We’re Naming
In this episode, we unpacked:
The double bind of being “too much” or “not enough”
The broken rung that blocks women from reaching manager-level roles
The cultural norms that reward compliance over courage
And we offered tools for change:
Naming emotional labor
Setting boundaries with care
Building trauma-informed cultures that value wholeness, not hustle
🌱 Why This Matters
Because the pushback you feel isn’t personal—it’s systemic. Because your exhaustion isn’t weakness—it’s the residue of unseen labor. Because your readiness isn’t the problem—the world’s resistance is.
🎧 Listen Again or Share It Forward
This episode is for every woman who’s been told to wait her turn. For every mother who’s been passed over. For every leader who’s been underestimated.
You’re not imagining it. You’re not alone. And you’re not done.
📚 Research & Reports
McKinsey & LeanIn.org – Women in the Workplace 2023 Comprehensive data on the broken rung, leadership gaps, and intersectional inequities Read report
National Women’s Law Center – The Wage Gap Explained Breaks down wage disparities by race, motherhood status, and occupation Explore data
Harvard Business Review – Why Women Still Can’t Have It All An essay that sparked global conversation around structural and emotional barriers Read article
🎙️ Podcast Episodes & Talks
Brené Brown: Unlocking Us – On Power and Vulnerability Examines emotional labor, leadership, and cultural expectations of women
The Michelle Obama Podcast – The Public and Private Pressure on Women A candid dive into visibility, care work, and resistance
The Double Shift Podcast Stories from working moms dismantling old paradigms