Why is it so hard for women to get into the boardroom

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Gillian Jones-Williams to explore why women continue to be underrepresented in boardrooms, and what needs to change for progress to accelerate.

They discuss the structural and cultural barriers that keep leadership teams male-dominated, including bias in perceptions of “gravitas”, expectations around age and readiness, and the experience of being the first (or only) woman in a board environment. Gillian shares what she’s learned from years of coaching senior women, including the extra work many women feel they must do to be heard, taken seriously, and assessed fairly.

The conversation also covers career planning and progression, including how organisations can better prepare women for the jump from senior management to board roles, and why “debiased” recruitment alone may not shift outcomes without deliberate action to widen and rebalance candidate pipelines. Alongside this, they touch on workplace realities that can materially affect women’s confidence and performance, such as menopause, stigma around reproductive health, and the unequal pressures many women faced during COVID-era working.

Gillian also shares her lockdown project: a diary-style book capturing the day-by-day experience of COVID-19 and the effort to keep a business going, written with the aim of raising money in support of NHS staff and their families.