Stop Trying to Fix Women: Why Real Progress Depends on Inclusive Leadership

Up until about five years ago, I’d spent twenty years of my life promoting gender equality – doing what I thought was the right thing as an ally.

I coached and trained women on how to get their voices heard in meetings.
But over time, I realised something important – instead of teaching women to adapt to the meeting, we need to change how the meeting itself is run. That’s what inclusive leadership is about.

I encouraged women find mentors and sponsors to access leadership networks.
Then it hit me — real change happens when leaders use their own social capital more equitably, building affinity with everyone on their team, not just those who look or sound like them.

I encouraged women to ask for career-enhancing opportunities and avoid the “glue work” that keeps organisations running but rarely gets rewarded.
Then I realised we need to support leaders to distribute opportunities, recognition, and promotions through an inclusive lens, not rely on who shout the loudest or who they know best.

I came to see that we have to stop trying to “fix” the women, stop blaming the men, and stop fuelling the gender conflict that drains energy and slows progress.

Because despite years of effort, the promise of diversity and equity hasn’t always translated into real representation or change.

The real unlock is inclusion.
It’s where the business benefit lies, where barriers start to fall, and where we can all come together to exercise our inclusion muscles.

That’s where the future of progress lives.
Inclusion isn’t just the destination – it’s how we get there.