If you’ve ever taken a river boat along the Thames and passed under Waterloo Bridge, you might have heard it called the Ladies Bridge. And if you haven’t, consider this your heads-up.

The nickname has been floating around for years, passed on by river boat tour guides. For a long time, it sounded like one of those stories that’s nice if it’s true. It turns out, it is.

By the 1930s, a century after it officially opened, Waterloo Bridge was falling apart. A rebuild was already in motion when construction began in 1939 - right as the Second World War broke out. As men were sent to fight, Britain was left with a labour shortage that reached into every industry, including construction, and women stepped in.

Women’s contribution to the war effort is often told through familiar images - factory lines, uniforms, the “we can do it” poster in the US. (Although, fun fact: “We Can Do It!” wasn’t widely seen during World War II. It was actually an internal Westinghouse image, shown only in February 1943 to encourage existing female employees to work harder - not to recruit women. It was only rediscovered in the early 1980s and later became widely reproduced)

Even Queen Elizabeth II trained as a mechanic and driver with the Auxiliary Territorial Service. But what tends to get less attention is the scale of women’s work in places like building sites.

By 1944, around 25,000 women were working in construction across the UK. On Waterloo Bridge, it’s now believed that up to 65% of the workforce were women. They were doing skilled, physical, technical labour - lifting, welding, assembling - the kind of work they’d long been excluded from.

And yet, when the bridge reopened in 1945, there was no mention of them.

A mix of wartime censorship and incomplete records meant their contribution was barely documented. Without official recognition, the story started to slip. Over time, it became something closer to myth - kept alive more by word of mouth than by anything written down.

It stayed that way until the early 2000s, when historian Christine Wall began looking into it. Alongside filmmakers Karen Livesey and Jo Wiser, she went digging through archives. At the National Science and Media Museum, they found photographs that had been overlooked for decades - including images of women dismantling the original bridge, and a welder known only as Dorothy working in the final years of construction.

They also tracked down testimonies from families of workers, confirming what the nickname had hinted at all along: women made up a significant part of the workforce.

In 2015, the bridge was re-listed, this time acknowledging their role.

The wider context makes that story feel less surprising. During the war, women’s employment rose sharply - from around 5.1 million in 1939 to over 7.25 million by 1943. Nearly half of all women of working age were employed or in national service. Among single women aged 18 to 40, it was closer to 90%.

They became mechanics, engineers, munitions workers, air raid wardens, bus drivers and fire engine drivers. More than 640,000 served in the armed forces through organisations like the ATS, WRNS and WAAF. Elsewhere, over 80,000 joined the Women’s Land Army, working long hours in tough conditions to keep the country fed.

Because women were moving into skilled roles that had previously been closed to them, it forced conversations about equal pay and status. Some limited agreements on equal pay were introduced, but they were narrow and often avoided. On average, women still earned just over half of what men did.

At the same time, Britain had to respond to a new reality. With more women working, childcare became a national issue. Wartime nurseries expanded rapidly, though they were always seen as temporary. The expectation that women would return to domestic life never fully went away.

And after the war, many did - not always by choice. As men returned, women were pushed out of jobs in large numbers. Despite wanting to stay in employment, most lost the economic independence they had gained.

The Ladies Bridge is more than infrastructure - it’s a record of a moment when the workforce shifted dramatically. There’s still an ongoing campaign, supported by the Women’s Engineering Society, to install a blue plaque on the bridge to honour the women who built it.

When you zoom out, the gap between contribution and recognition is hard to ignore. Across both the UK and the US, there are still fewer than ten women-only memorials dedicated to the Second World War. In Britain, the most prominent is the Monument to the Women of World War II on Whitehall, unveiled in 2005 - the same year Waterloo Bridge’s story was formally acknowledged.

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As The Devil Wears Prada sequel, which has been 20 years in the making, finally hits cinemas, it lays bare just how much the magazine industry has changed in the decades since the glory days of magazines in 2006 when I was taking my first steps as a journalist in the media.

When the first film came out, I was starting out in magazines and ironically shared the name of the protagonist Andrea (Andy Sachs - played by Anne Hathaway) much to my friends’ amusement. Like her, I had just done a stint at Conde Nast (Features Writer at Glamour Magazine). It was the days of huge budget shoots, bottomless expense accounts, dressing in sky high heels and evening-worthy designer dresses to the office, and parties every night of the week. It was also a time before social media, when magazines were the gatekeepers of all that was glamorous and exclusive.

Like Andy though, I craved the world of investigative journalism. I left Conde Nast to work on features and investigative reporting for the Daily Mail, Sunday Times and Grazia, even dipping my feet into some undercover reporting for Channel 4 and ITV before returning to magazines when I landed my dream job as Features Director at Marie Claire.

In the new film, we catch up with Andy who has lived out her dream as a ‘serious journalist’ in newspapers and - without any spoilers! - suddenly finds herself back in the world of magazines as Features Editor on the legendary glossy Runway. The film neatly spotlights a world that has been turned upside down by the demise of print (and advertising) and rise of digital, social media and AI. We watch as Miranda Priestly and her team struggle to navigate the sweeping changes within the world they once ruled.

As someone who has spent over two decades in the industry and most recently 6 years as editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, I’ve seen all this all play out in real time and yet, it’s still a world I love. After all, where could you jet off to Paris for Couture Fashion week one day and be at a Downing Street reception with the Prime Minister talking about gender equality the next? So if you’re still keen to break into publishing, here are a few things I’ve learned along the way...

Hone your personal voice

We live in a world with relentless digital noise. Your unique perspective is your superpower. Be bold enough to speak up and express your own point of view. Have you had an unconventional background? Are you the only person who looks like you in your team? Use that lens on the world to your advantage and write or speak from a place that feels authentic and genuinely yours. This is your personal brand.

Build your network

You cannot climb the ladder alone. Build a network of like-minded women cheerleaders via social media and IRL who have your back. These women will be your sounding board when things get tough and help you navigate the big decisions that will obviously come your way. If you can, also find a mentor or role model who can help you identify what sort of leader you want to be in five or 10 years time. They don’t even need to be from the same industry - mine was an influential black woman I met in my twenties from the banking world, but she gave me so many useful lessons about how to move through the corporate world boldly yet gracefully as a leader.

Do scary things

Some of the best moments in my life have come from saying yes to things that terrify me: speaking on a live TV politics show, interviewing the Prime Minister, accepting a new job I didn’t feel 100% ready for. These wonderful moments are where the growth is, so seize them. Regularly challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone and see what happens. You’re capable of more than you think.

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Be prepared to compromise

Don’t get hung up too early on the ‘dream’ publication or role. I always wanted to work at Marie Claire but did a total of five jobs at different publications before I got there and learned so much from each one of them. A goal is great, but side-stepping into unanticipated roles along the way is a great opportunity to experience new working environments and learn new skills, which will ultimately make you better at the job you want when you get there.

Build resilience

You need a thick skin to survive in this industry. Make your peace with being rejected for jobs or pitches and don’t take it personally if your work is criticised. I’ve interviewed countless highly successful women, from actors to entrepreneurs, throughout my career and all of them have credited best learnings to their ‘failures’. The ability to learn from and thrive after setbacks is what being successful in any career is all about.

Stay curious

It’s easy (and lazy) to rely on the same handful of news sources, platforms or accounts. To stay informed and ahead of trends you need to be consuming a wide range of content. Not just the outlets whose opinions you agree with, but those you vehemently disagree with too.

Be disciplined

Creativity is nothing without preparation and discipline. Do your research, prepare thoroughly and stick to deadlines. If you have a big interview, meeting or event, over preparation is key. I always find my nerves dissipate before something I’m scared of doing if I’m confident I’ve done the best job of preparing first.

Look after your health

We work in a demanding deadline-driven industry where an element of stress is part of life. Find something away from the day job that keeps you healthy and focussed. I’m a passionate runner and have always started my work day with a run or work out. It sets me up with a positive mindset for the day and is often the time when I get my best ideas.

Follow Andrea on Instagram here.

By Jaqui Rhule-Dagher, Lawyer and Founder of Legally Queerly

I am at a Pride lunch under the guise of being an ally. The event is being held by the law firm where I work. Feeling nervous, I try to stay calm and composed. But no sooner has the food been placed on my plate, than I leap up. Fleeing the room, I rip off my rainbow lanyard and discard it in a nearby plant pot.

Why the extreme reaction? Although nobody has explicitly said to me, “If you come out it will ruin your career”, I am already hyper aware that I am one of the few Black people at my firm. I don’t want to add my sexuality to the mix too.

Flash forward to today, more than a decade later, and I am now proudly out at work. But the journey to get here has not been easy. The reality is that there are not huge numbers of out lawyers. In 2025, 2.6% of lawyers identified as lesbian or gay, just a slight increase from 2.1% in 2015, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. 

The absence of out senior leaders can leave junior lawyers feeling isolated and excluded.

While 3% of partners in larger firms (50+ partners) are gay men, only 1% are lesbian women. Many people also feel pressure to conceal their sexuality to fit into a heteronormative framework. I have heard of people being too afraid to announce their engagement to colleagues, for fear of being viewed negatively. Research by the Trades Union Congress found that 34% of LGBTQ+ legal professionals still face microaggressions in the workplace, such as offensive “banter”.

Challenges are compounded when a person exists at multiple intersections. Characteristics such as class, race, religion and gender can interact to create unique experiences of privilege or oppression.

The importance of visibility cannot be overstated. If you don’t see people who look like you, you can start to think there is something wrong with the way you look. Representation impacts attitudes and culture. When people see lesbians and queer individuals working authentically, it challenges perceptions. If I had seen diverse role models from the start of my career, it would have made a massive difference.

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If all that is not enough to persuade you of the importance of inclusion, lesbian and queer visibility also makes business sense, enhancing innovation and problem-solving.

Remembering the dearth of role models when I entered the legal industry, I founded Legally Queerly in April 2023. This initiative involves lesbians and queer individuals in the legal industry, or in-house lawyers, writing about their careers and the power of visibility, in a feature published by DIVA magazine. 

To date, over 100 individuals have taken part in Legally Queerly. Consistent visibility acts as “profound advocacy”, directly disrupting harmful stereotypes and unconscious biases.

My advice to aspiring and junior lesbian and queer lawyers? Establish a “Personal Board of Directors” at the outset of your career. Seek out a group of trusted mentors, including senior lawyers, who can offer guidance on early years in practice. Reverse mentoring senior lawyers can also be a brilliant way of sharing your lived experiences and positively impacting your firm’s inclusion efforts.

When applying to firms, search for meaningful initiatives, such as inclusive parental leave and trans-inclusive health benefits. Try to unearth whether the firms have openly LGBTQIA+ lawyers and active Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

If you’re an ally, then participating in ERGs is powerful, showing that inclusion is a firm-wide concern and not just a minority issue. You can also make a difference by calling out microaggressions or offering sponsorship – using your political capital to ensure opportunities are distributed equitably.

Although being lesbian and queer in the legal industry can present specific challenges, it can also offer unique opportunities. Two years after that disastrous Pride lunch, on starting my training contract at another firm, I made the decision to be out at work. Since then, I have had the pleasure of meeting incredible people I may not have otherwise encountered. I have been able to help shape policies and strategy. Significantly, the Legally Queerly contributors are now positive role models for others. The biggest lesson I have learned is this: being out is not always easy, but it’s always worth it.

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Millions of working women are set to benefit as new UK legislation brings long-overdue improvements to workplace rights.

The reforms will be introduced in stages across 2026 and 2027, with some measures already in effect and are expected to significantly strengthen protections and support for women at work.

Employers will be required to update contracts and internal policies in line with the new rules.

Key changes affecting women under the Employment Rights Act 2025 include:

Menopause support
Large employers (250+ staff) must publish plans showing how they support menopause at work - from appointing champions to offering tailored adjustments.

Gender pay gap
Companies must not just report pay gaps, but set clear, practical plans to close them.

Pregnancy and maternity protection
Stronger safeguards against dismissal during pregnancy, maternity leave, and up to six months after returning.

Sexual harassment
Employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment - including from customers. NDAs that silence victims are no longer valid.

Family and health leave

• Bereavement leave - new right to unpaid leave after a loss

• Pregnancy loss - specific leave and protections for loss before 24 weeks

• Day one rights - paternity and unpaid parental leave available from the first day

Working conditions

• Zero-hours contracts - right to guaranteed hours for eligible workers

• Shift security - compensation for last-minute cancellations and fair notice of shifts

Stronger sick pay and parental leave

Up to 9.6 million workers are set to benefit from improved statutory sick pay under the first wave of reforms, according to new TUC analysis.

Around 1.2 million people - the majority low-paid women - will qualify for statutory sick pay for the first time, as the previous £125 per week “lower earnings limit” is removed.

A further 8.4 million workers will now receive sick pay from the first day of illness, instead of waiting four days.

The changes are expected to disproportionately benefit low-paid women, as well as disabled workers and those at the beginning and end of their careers.

Women’s employment ambassador

Women’s health campaigner and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup has been appointed as the Government’s Women’s Employment Ambassador, a newly created role to to help employers better support women’s health at every stage of their careers and support working women across the country.

A government spokesperson said: “The Employment Rights Act is a huge boost for women in the workplace – introducing enhanced protections for pregnant women and new mothers, menopause action plans for large employers and rights for parental leave from day one.

“Women thriving in the workplace is not just important for equality but for boosting economic growth.”

By author Stefanie Sword-Williams

If you’ve been feeling lost, stuck or just over it when it comes to your career, you might be experiencing a career comedown. Let me paint you a picture…

You’ve spent your twenties climbing the career ladder - a few pay rises, a promotion, and on paper, everything looks great. But you’re not fulfilled. The future feels like more of the same, and it’s not giving you that get-out-of-bed energy. The realities of your industry are hard to ignore, yet you’ve never imagined doing anything else. You don’t know what you’d change, only that you want out of the rat race, because even at the top, you’ll still wonder: Is this it?

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. This is something I anticipate we will all experience on our professional journeys, which is why I’ve designed three ways to tackle it:

Option 1: Stick - Stay in your role, but reshape it to actually work for you.

Option 2: Twist - Pivot into something new that reignites your passion.

Option 3: Tap Out - Step away from the idea that your job is your identity.

So let’s break down how to apply each option to your own reality…

STICK

Find your own joy

Your company and clients are not coming to save you, so if you’ve lost your spark at work, you need to find more ways to brighten up your days. Romanticise your daily routine, add more fun to boring meetings and do something that lights you up each day.

Change your beliefs

Your beliefs shape your experience - if you tell yourself your boss hates you, you’ll behave like it. Reframe it as them being overwhelmed, under-supported, or quietly fighting their own fires. Suddenly the tension softens and it makes the entire working week feel lighter.

Cut the self-blaming

If your lack of progression is the problem, you need to stop being publicly self-critical. If you want to be seen as capable, trustworthy, or leadership material, it’s time to drop the “I’m such an idiot” mindset. You don’t need to be perfect but you do need to back yourself and stop creating doubt around you.

TWIST

Try before you leap

Before diving into a new career, it’s important to get a feel for what you’re choosing and spot any potential issues. Internships, side hustling, volunteering or mentoring are all great ways for you to sample your next chapter.

Expand your circle

Research shows that weak ties (casual acquaintances) often open more doors than close friends, connecting you to networks and opportunities you wouldn’t reach otherwise. Be open to meeting and engaging with people beyond your inner circle. It’s better to have too many people in your corner than too few.

Become obsessed

If you don’t want your lack of experience to pop up as a problem, become a superfan of your new industry. Attend events, read books, listen to podcasts, and most importantly have a critical opinion on what’s missing and how you’ll add value.

TAP OUT

Pull back 20%

Stuck in a cycle of overdelivering leading to burn out? Trinh Mai, director of mindfulness programming at the University of Utah Health, recommends we should look at where we could give 20 per cent less in selected areas that don’t run the risk of harm or significant loss.

Change your dialogue

If you want to disconnect from work, you need to change how you speak about it. If you constantly describe situations as an emergency or disaster, you’re constantly functioning in survival mode. Try using more neutral language to avoid creating internal fear.

Be a segmentor

Instead of integrating work and life, try creating a ritual that separates your professional hours from your down time. A walk at the end of the day, changing outfits or even lighting a scented candle can signal to your nervous system that you’re no longer in work mode can help dramatically with switching off.

Named as Forbes Under 30 and celebrated as a confidence expert, Stefanie has 10 years of public speaking experience and her talks have reached people in over 50 countries globally.

Her two books - Career Comedown: What to do when work isn’t working for you and F*ck Being Humble - are available to buy now.

Follow her on Substack:

By Stacey Keen, founder of Keen2Assist Ltd

My throat hurt so much I could barely swallow, and I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow. I remember lying there, wondering if I’d survive til the next day. That moment, which was raw, painful, and terrifying, was the wake-up call I didn’t know I needed.

I was working in the city as a Senior Executive Assistant in a fast-paced Operations team, supporting three global Managing Directors while covering a maternity leave. My alarm went off at 4:30am, I was out the door by 5:45am and started my day by 7am. The hours were long, the expectations high, and I gave everything I had — and more. I didn’t just support the execs, I was responsible for assisting the entire floor: fielding questions, managing logistics, and even coordinating cost-saving floor moves. I loved my job, but I was mentally and physically exhausted.

Then in 2019, I developed pneumonia. It took time for me to get a confirmed diagnosis, having been to multiple GP appointments and still no answers. I kept pushing through the exhaustion before the diagnosis, telling myself I just had to hold on until my colleague returned from maternity leave. But I knew in my gut something was not right. Thankfully I had private health insurance and after further investigations, it was clear the delay meant the illness had ravaged my body. Not only did I have pneumonia but also fluid on my lungs and viral fatigue. There was a slow, painful recovery ahead. I was told I needed complete rest.

And for the first time, I listened.

During that downtime, I realised something profound: if I didn’t change my life, I could die young. No job — no matter how prestigious or fulfilling — was worth that.

The worst days were marked by high fevers, aching limbs, and crushing fatigue that made walking to the bathroom feel like a marathon. I cried often. I couldn’t remember words mid-sentence, which was both frightening and frustrating. I was totally burnt out and struggling to do the simplest of tasks.

Recovery took three months. I had to rebuild my energy slowly and even retrain my memory with exercises to help me speak clearly again. The lows were terrifying, but the highs — finally being given a correct diagnosis and receiving the right treatment — were a lifeline to the support I needed.

Since then, boundaries have become sacred. I don’t let anyone cross them. That experience taught me that health isn’t something to gamble with. I’ve left the corporate grind and launched my own Virtual Assistance Agency, working from home on my own terms, guided by my values and principles.

It hasn’t been easy. Starting a new career path in my mid-40s has come with its own set of challenges. But it’s worth it. I’m rarely sick now — no more crowded trains or stale office air. I’ve created a life that supports my wellbeing, not one that drains it.

Burnout doesn’t always look so dramatic. Sometimes it’s quiet, slow erosion of energy, joy, and clarity. Here are the signs I wish I’d paid attention to:

• Raging sore throat (thank goodness for the power of tea, the only thing to soothe it)

• Shortness of breath (like you have an elephant sitting on your chest)

• Constant violent coughing, resulting in sickness (which racked my whole body)

• Constant fatigue, even after rest

• Brain fog and forgetfulness

• Emotional overwhelm and frequent tears

• Feeling like you’re “just surviving” each day

If you’re seeing these signs, please don’t wait. Speak to someone. Take a break. Reassess.

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Here’s what I’ve learned to avoid burnout in the future, and the advice I give my friends:

• Set boundaries early and stick to them. Your time and energy are precious.

• Listen to your body. Fatigue is a message, not a weakness.

• Don’t wait for a crisis to make a change. Prevention is always better than the cure.

• Build a support system of family, friends, mentors, or professionals. Don’t go it alone.

• Redefine what success means to you. It’s not just about titles or hours worked. It’s about alignment, health, and happiness.

If you think you are in the middle of burnout, know this: you can come back. It may take time, and it won’t be linear, but healing is possible. Give yourself grace. Celebrate small wins. And remember: your worth isn’t just tied to your productivity.

I’m proud of the life I’ve rebuilt. It’s quieter, more intentional, and deeply fulfilling. If sharing my story helps even one woman to pause and reflect and choose herself, then it’s worth every word.

Stacey is the founder of Keen to Assist Ltd, a Virtual Assistance business for start-ups and small to medium-sized businesses across the UK.

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By Maxine Bremner, co-founder of Hive19

Starting a business as a woman comes with its own set of challenges. The business world hasn’t always been set up with women in mind, which can make it harder to find the right advice or support.

The good news is that, over the years, I’ve found that the hurdles we face do have solutions, and the sooner you know them, the better.

So, in the spirit of paying it forward, I’m sharing six lessons from my five-year journey as co-founder of Hive19, the Brighton-based digital marketing agency.

1. You (probably) already know your first customers

Rather than spending months marketing your new business to your ideal client, use the connections you have. Chances are, your first customers are already in your network.

Start by sharing your business idea with friends and family, and encourage referrals to reach a wider audience. Gather feedback, refine your offerings over time, and build your confidence before marketing to your wider target customers.

2. Setting boundaries to avoid burnout is a must

As a female founder, it’s been a challenge for me to draw a clear line between when I stop work and when to carve out time to spend with loved ones.

However, if you want your business to be a success, boundaries are a must to avoid burnout. You’ll find that you can give more to your business when you take the time to rest and reset.

A few of the boundaries I’ve found super useful over the years include:

• Be proactive and arrange days out, meet ups and social events on weekends ahead of time.
  
  

• Avoid saying “yes” to every new client or business opportunity. If it doesn’t align with your long term goals, it may not be worth taking up your resources and brain space.
  
  

• Block out specific time blocks or entire days where nobody can book meetings with you. This becomes your hyper-focus time when you’re most productive.

3. Learn how to access funding and support

There’s a whole community of female founders out there ready to support one another, so tap into it! Alongside this wonderful community at The Female Lead, resources I recommend checking out include:

• Female Founders Fund

• Invest in Women Taskforce

• Female Founder Finance

• Her Biz

• Wyseminds

• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

Young female entrepreneurs should also explore youth business grants, like The King’s Trust Enterprise Programme.

4. Invest in financial systems early

I’m lucky that Louisa Delpy, one of Hive19’s fellow co-founders, is a machine when it comes to our agency’s finances. We built our agency with financial systems set into the foundations, and I’ll always be grateful that we did.

By investing in the right tech, we tracked our cash flow from day one, and we have systems and automation in place that flag any outstanding invoices. This helped us price our services correctly and ensure financial sustainability long-term.

As you start your business, I’d highly recommend doing the same.

Explore tech that makes tracking your money automatic, so that you don’t have to worry about spreadsheets and receipts. Open a business account that connects to your financial hardware, like your card reader, and records all of your incoming and outgoing payments in one place.

5. You can (and should) pay yourself straight away

While it’s great to reinvest in your business, you deserve to take a salary from your profits, and to do so from day one.

Be smart with your finances and factor your salary into pricing and revenue goals from day one, with a clear budget that ensures good cash flow and long-term sustainability.

This cultivates healthier financial practices and ensures you can put in enough time to grow your startup without sacrificing your personal life.

For me, paying myself a salary was one of those boundaries that ensured I had a life outside of work, too, which is super important for my positive mental wellbeing as a founder.

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6. Always test before you scale

One of the smartest moves we made at Hive19 early on was piloting services before scaling them - and we still do this today. It gives us room to learn, improve, and be agile in pivoting our approach to link building and content marketing.

Start small, working in iterations to introduce a simpler version of your product or service to a small pool of clients.

Gather feedback, make decisions on data rather than biases and use it to refine your idea, all while avoiding costly mistakes. When the time comes to scale, you’ll already know what works and why, creating a strategy rooted in experience.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a woman thinking about starting a business, go for it. The world could do with more female founders, and there’s a whole community of supportive, like-minded women waiting for you to join.

Maxine Bremner is Cofounder and Head of Content at Hive19, a marketing agency that services global SaaS and fintechs. She works with fast-growing eCommerce businesses, innovative fintech startups, and scaling SaaS brands, supporting their efforts to build trust and visibility within their niche through creative content and targeted marketing strategies.

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By Bhavana Smith, Founder & CEO of Until There Are Nine

The traditional career ladder is dead. What replaced it is the career “zigzag” and it can be the key to future-proofing your career.

We asked our network of executives to share advice with their younger selves, specifically related to career moves and job changes, and how they view people today that they’re looking to hire/promote who have changed jobs every 2-3 years. It isn’t just career advice – it’s career intelligence.

The Great Career Narrative Shift 

Remember when changing jobs every few years looked bad on your resume? Those days are over. What used to be called "job hopping" is now recognized as strategic career building but only if you can tell the right story and flip the narrative.

Dave Trifiletti, who went from the Army to agency account management to COO, explains his perspective:

"I would never assume immediately that changing a job every 2-3 years is job hopping. In order to gain a breadth of experience, sometimes it requires you to move to different companies or different roles."

What matters now isn't tenure, it's the story you tell about intentional growth. Debbie Kemp, who started on the floor at Goldman Sachs and is now a global CHRO at a FinTech company, looks for candidates who can "articulate how each move enabled them to grow, add value, and bring those insights to our team."

Why Zigzagging Beats Ladder Climbing 

Not all executives rise to senior levels by following a straight path. They got there by being curious, taking calculated risks, and building what we call a "transferable skills portfolio."

My own pivot from agency life to consulting was a lateral move that many called "foolish." Instead, it became the catalyst that leapfrogged me over my peers and even some former managers. What started as a lateral move ended up being the best decision for my career growth.

Diversity of experience is now more valuable than depth of tenure. Companies need leaders who can translate across functions, understand different perspectives, and adapt quickly to change. You can't get that by staying in one lane.

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Our co-Founder Julie Davis, recalls filling two product manager roles with marketing professionals instead of traditional engineers. "They learned how to engage with engineers and translate their language of tech speak and understood the impact of our product on customers vs marketing metrics." That experience changed their career trajectory and pay because they were able to leverage their marketing skills in a new job family.

The skills that actually transfer

Our executives consistently highlighted the same capabilities that made their zigzags successful. These aren't technical skills (although those are important to learn), they're the leadership attributes that become more valuable as you advance:

• Communication and relationship building remain foundational, but it's more nuanced now. The ability to navigate people, collaborate with empathy, and maintain transparency across generational differences is becoming essential as workforces become more diverse.

• Problem-solving and adaptability compounds with each role. When you've solved similar challenges in different contexts, you develop pattern recognition that makes you invaluable.

• Operational excellence and project management are increasingly critical. The ability to streamline processes, manage complex timelines, and coordinate across multiple stakeholders becomes essential as you advance to senior levels where you're orchestrating rather than executing.

Carly Feinstein learned more about "client service, project management, operational excellence, and setting boundaries in one year at Accenture than I did in the 17 years prior combined in Marketing roles." Her zigzag helped her build her portfolio of transferable skills that she was able to apply when she started her own consulting firm.

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Making Your Zigzag Strategic

The difference between successful career zigzagging and random job hopping comes down to intentionality. Here's how we recommend approaching it:

• Lead with future outcomes. Before making any move, ask yourself: How does this help me get to where I want to be in 1, 3 or 5 years? Is this role the stepping stone to the future role I want? Every job is temporary anyway so be strategic.

• Think portfolio, not position. Instead of optimizing for title or salary alone, consider how each role adds to your overall capability set. The most successful zigzaggers develop a portfolio of transferable skills that transcend industries and functions.

• Connect the dots for others. Don't assume people will see how your diverse background creates value. As one executive stated, "If they have changed industries and they can articulate how each move enabled them to grow, add value, and bring those insights to our team, I view that positively."

The Future-Proofing Factor 

Whether you want to become the head of the company where you work or build your own, career zig-zagging helps you build more than skills – it builds resilience. In a world where AI is reshaping every industry, the professionals who survive and thrive will be those who can adapt, learn, and apply knowledge across contexts.

Your Zigzag Action Plan 

Ready to make your career moves more strategic? Start here:

• Audit your current skills portfolio. What capabilities do you have? What gaps exist for where you want to go?

• Identify your next learning edge. What skills or experiences would make you more valuable? What industries or functions intrigue you?

• Activate your network strategically. Don't just network for your next job, network to understand where industries are heading and what skills will be valuable.

• Practice your narrative. Can you clearly articulate how your diverse experiences create unique value? Practice until it feels natural.

Kimberly King, who started her career in music promotions, followed by editorial/content, transitioned to integrated marketing and now drives Inclusion in media, shared her mantra:

"Remain curious. If the advice I give myself is to remain curious, the advice I would give to someone who is early in their career is to remain curious."

The traditional career ladder promised predictable progress. The career zigzag promises something better: the skills, perspective, and adaptability to thrive in an unpredictable world. It’s not whether you should, but whether you’re being strategic about the direction of your zigs and zags. You’ve got this. 

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Until There Are Nine is a career intelligence platform that provides strategic guidance to women so their self-advocacy is more effective within a corporate environment. You can subscribe to The Inner Circle Substack here: Your Career Wingwoman.

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This report is supported by PayPal Giving Fund

The idea that women aren’t running organisations is a myth: in the UK charity sector, women make up between 56%-63% of CEOs, and are most in evidence running small charities. Stats from NatWest and Beauhurst’s New Startup Index show that out of the 900,000 new UK ventures launched in 2023, a record 164,000 were female-founded — 18% of the total.

Yet in that same year, female-only founded startups received less than 3% of venture capital funding. The evidence shows that women-led organisations make an impact: they have larger average revenues than male-led companies, and create higher job growth. Many female founders are more motivated by factors like the desire to make a difference and contribute to society.

And the killer figure: the UK economy could grow by £250 billion if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men.

So why isn’t the dial shifting faster? And why aren’t investors backing women?

Through in-depth interviews with some of the country’s leaders and experts across the commercial and for-impact sectors, The Female Lead explored the economic, technological and cultural factors that can supercharge female-led small organisations: from overhauling a broken funding system to modernising boardroom culture, resetting our understanding of risk, ‘clustering’ and collaborating, and harnessing the rapid growth of AI tools.

The fundraising hurdle

“My career success is largely down to being really good at asking men for money,” says Debbie Wosskow, a multi-exit entrepreneur and Co-Chair of the government-backed £255 million Investing in Women Taskforce. “That's quite weird if you think about it”.

In our conversations with leaders and experts, one topic dominated: we need to overhaul the funding system.

Close to a third (29%) of UK charities saw a fall in voluntary income in 2024, according to Blackbaud data. The major factors they gave for this were being impacted by the macro economic environment and not being adequately resourced, meaning grants and other funding are now even more key.

“Walking into a room as a woman and asking for money might even be looked at differently from a man doing it," says Erin Hope Thompson, the founder of The Loss Foundation, who feels that assertive fundraising doesn’t come naturally to her. Thankfully, her team includes a powerhouse female fundraiser. Funding is also essential for commercial scale-ups.

Women tend to set more realistic projections than men, explains Tom Kelly, Head of SMB BB Europe at PayPal. “That’s an advantage in many ways, but the area in which we see that it’s a significant disadvantage is in fundraising. A male entrepreneur who has a tendency to overestimate potential fits the blueprint.”

Investors want unicorns, so they’re not excited when they get realism rather than optimism from female entrepreneurs.

The impact is that some women are discouraged, and may be unable to get started. Ayesha Ofori is the founder of Propelle, an investment platform for women. Despite her strong credentials — she had an Imperial College physics degree, an MBA from London Business School, and experience at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley — she struggled to secure funding and saw a clear bias in the system. “When it comes to fundraising, it doesn't matter what I do, they're just not going to give me the money. It was like a smack in the face.”

“I've even had one woman at a VC that I pitched, who messaged me on WhatsApp saying: ‘I'm really sorry. The board is all men. You tick every single box. I just wanted to apologize because I'm disgusted.”

Ayesha Ofori thinks a major culture change is needed, to encourage more investment in diverse founders, as well as more targeted events and programmes that focus specifically on introductions to relevant investors for women-led businesses. Wosskow is focused on the lack of female venture capital partners - only 11% are women. “Female investors are twice as likely to back a woman compared a male investor, that’s the issue,” she explains. Her taskforce aims to increase female investors, including attracting them from overseas, so that women are more in control of how funding is allocated.

Playing to women’s strengths

For the few businesses who get through that funding funnel, the playing field is uneven due to cultural myths which misunderstand their strengths. The Female Lead’s 2021 ‘Women at Work’ research with Dr Terri Apter uncovered five myths about women at work, which can impede their career progress. One is the perception that women are risk-averse - which is largely a stereotype. Yet it is a pervasive one.

Michael Hayman, a co-founder of communications consultancy Seven Hills BPI, and the former chair of the UK’s Small Business Charter, notes that women are often described as taking a more cautious approach to risk than men, and that this can hold them back. It’s an area that he feels needs more investigation: “My sense is that experience is the cure: the more generations of successful female role models there are to fall back on, the better.”

The investment community also needs to rethink attitudes to risk, Hayman argues, as part of a mature approach to business.

In contrast, recognising women’s strengths can bring agility, collaboration and innovation to the economy.

The Loss Foundation reaches thousands on a budget of just £100,000 per year. Its founder Erin Hope Thompson says she is "learning to love” being small, as it allows for agility, creativity, and resilience, especially during economic downturns. “We can continue to stick to our values without worrying that big size interferes with that. We don't need a lot to carry on. So in some ways, small has become our strength."

Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award says that modern leadership thinking is at last recognising that the qualities traditionally attributed to women in the workplace are not weaknesses, “but in fact superpowers”. “In the charity sector I am privileged to work with phenomenal female leaders who are demonstrating how qualities like collaboration, low ego leadership, empathy and radical flexibility can help charities convert scarce resources into serious impact,” Marvel added.

And Paula Mullin, Acting CEO for Midlands Engine, says that female entrepreneurs approach growth and impact entirely differently from male ones in her experience. “Those businesses are bringing new and fresh thinking. They're going to the market in a very different way to their male competitors.”

In September 2024, she brought together around 400 mostly female-led organisations and was struck by the optimism in the room. “This is not the traditional boardroom model that they're bringing. They work in a very different way. They're leaning into hybrid working, innovation and technology.”

Women entrepreneurs naturally embrace partnerships in her experience, which could lead to major economic advancements, she says. She has noticed female-led businesses “clustering”: working together for cross-sector innovation and opportunities across industries, particularly in manufacturing supply chains in sectors like defense and aerospace.

The last 18 months have also seen a step-change in female organisational leaders integrating technology into their work, with huge potential for creative solutions and efficiency, according to Carrie Green, the founder of the Female Entrepreneurs Association. “In my community, women are even naming their ChatGPT, because essentially it's become their AI assistant. I see a lot of women who are trying to juggle kids, caring for elderly parents with building a business, or having part-time jobs, or even full-time jobs on the side. They are able to make a lot more progress by leveraging clever technology and AI.”

“If you use it well, it's like having an extra person,” says Anita Brightley-Hodges, the co-founder of Irene & Jenny, a two-person luxury jewelry business run with her daughter. She uses ChatGPT to help create social media marketing content, as well as other low-cost, easy to navigate services like shared digital workspaces and tools for project tracking and making professional visuals without specialized design skills. “It's part and parcel of what you do every day,” Brightley-Hodges adds.

The women-led organisations we spoke to highlighted storytelling and a strong focus on marketing, PR and brand identity as their leverage when competing against large businesses. “It's very important to establish a brand early on,” says Anna Richey, who with Alla Ouvarova founded Two Chicks, which sells egg-based products including separated egg whites. “So when a competitor comes in, you have a brand identity.” They observed that smaller brands tend to be more creative and innovative in their product offerings.

“I think if you're the first to market in the way that we were, that also helps because you get a following,” Ouvarova said. “We're an egg white in a carton, we don't have a magic recipe.”

‘We’re all a little bit in the trenches’

Women-led organisations are supporting each other through an uncertain economic period. Amid a backdrop of increased National Insurance costs, stalled economic growth and macro economic factors like the pandemic and Ukraine war, many are in firefighting mode and peer support is essential.

Polly McMaster, founder and CEO of The Fold, has leaned on her network far more in recent years, and noticed other women doing the same. “I think in the past, people were worried about talking to competitors, and I think to an extent that's been put aside. It’s like: ‘We're all a little bit in the trenches here, let's help each other’.”

Ayesha Ofori from Propelle called for more structured support for women leading SMEs, having found existing organisations difficult to navigate and not always helpful. Richey and Ouvarova from Two Chicks feel that there is still work to be done around women’s business groups, particularly in terms of access to experienced industry advisors. They have set up their own initiative, Future Female Entrepreneur, to try to help.

But there’s also plenty to be optimistic about. Low confidence is well-known to affect women’s organisational success, but other qualities are advantageous, says Carrie Green from the Female Entrepreneurs Association. “Imposter syndrome is a term I hear probably every single day. If I do a workshop with women, the biggest thing in their way is the way they think about themselves: their feeling that they're not enough. But I also think that it's a huge strength. Women are nurturers, and leading with love and empathy is a very, very powerful thing.”

“Women are not underrepresented in the non-profit sector, and yet struggle to reach the very top on too many occasions,” says Vanessa Babouram, the Vice President, UK and Ireland for PayPal Giving Fund, a charity that is PayPal’s online fundraising platform to facilitate charitable giving.

This means advocating every day for women colleagues, she says, “creating a space for them to be seen, when sometimes team members with qualities more generally associated with men such as ‘executive presence’ or ‘authority’ overshadow great achievements delivered through true collaboration away from the traditional command and control model of leadership."

Social media offers a chance for women to form communities and write their own narratives, she explains. While traditional media is still centered around how women look, “social media is obviously really powerful. The communities are out there for women to tap into.”

Wosskow noted that female entrepreneurs running consumer businesses can capitalise on the opportunity to leverage the spending influence of female consumers, who control over 70% of disposable income. “I think I'm always in the ‘reasons to be cheerful’ camp, and I think as a female entrepreneur, you do stand out.”

If business leaders and Government dismiss women, or fail to get them access to essential funding, they risk missing out on the social economic powerhouses of the future.

Edwina Dunn, the founder of the Female Lead, said: “We need to urgently address the chronic funding challenge, welcome the different ways of working that female entrepreneurs can bring, and ultimately think about the benefits of backing women, rather than overlooking them.”

Learn more about PayPal Giving Fund.

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By Gemma Williams, HR professional

Being a solo entrepreneur and building your business alone can be lonely at times.

While entrepreneurs or ‘solopreneurs’ often thrive on the independence that comes with working alone, you can come up against problems such as imposter syndrome, trying to wear many hats at once, and working long hours without speaking to anyone else.

So if you’re considering working for yourself, these 5 steps will help you avoid feeling lonely along the way.

1. Identify your social needs

Everyone needs social interactions. But, the frequency and length of what we need will vary from person to person.

Take the first steps to building a social routine that works for you:

• Set a dedicated time each week for intentional social time. This will look different for everyone, from regular coffee catch-ups with a former colleague or mentor to monthly book clubs with friends.

• Knowing the level of interaction you need, and planning it, will help curb feelings of loneliness before they arise.

2. Seek out a mentor

Mentors are a great resource to help you progress and grow, and they also help to prevent entrepreneur loneliness.

They, too, may have experienced feelings of loneliness in their journey. They’ll be able to share some of their strategies. Find and build relationships with mentors by:

1. Understanding the areas where you would like support or guidance.

2. Join female entrepreneur groups, attend networking events or explore mentorship programmes to connect with experienced mentors.

3. LinkedIn is a great platform to connect with mentors.

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3. Consider working in shared spaces

Many solo entrepreneurs find themselves working from home the majority of the time. This can be lonely, so it’s a good idea to consider working from a shared office space or co-working hub some of the time.

Whether once a week, or once a month, a change of scenery can bring inspiration, promote creativity and help protect against loneliness. Look into local options like WeWork, Spaces, Work.Life, The Office Group, or independent co-working hubs near to you.

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4. Look after your mental health

Loneliness can be common if you’re working at home: 20% of remote workers cite loneliness as their biggest challenge. We’ll all have ups and downs, but experiencing prolonged periods of sadness or other symptoms like low mood may be a sign of something more serious.

There are key differences between sadness and depression and it’s important to understand whether you may be suffering from more severe mental health issues.

Keep on top of your mental health as a solopreneur by:

• Blocking 15 mins in your calendar before bed, check in with yourself and reflect on your mood by journaling or using mood-tracking apps.

• Ask for support and avoid leaving negative feelings to fester or escalate. Talk to a close friend, peer and support groups, or seek help from a mental health specialist.

5. Attend industry workshops or events

Although it can feel awkward attending networking events alone, try to remember that most of the other attendees are in the same boat!

Chances are, you’ll have some common interests - after all, you’ve all chosen to attend the same event. Attending an industry workshop, event or talk will also help you to upskill or learn something new that can help drive your business forward.

Gemma Williams is dedicated to creating resources that provide meaningful connections, and support female career development, workplace culture, and the future of work.

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Women are still shut out of tech and AI in the roles that really matter, in a situation that makes no economic sense, leading entrepreneurs Edwina Dunn and Martha Lane Fox have argued.

Dunn, the founder of The Female Lead and a data science pioneer behind the Tesco Clubcard; and Lane Fox, a philanthropist and the co-founder of Lastminute.com; discussed bias in AI systems and called for every women to see herself as part of the AI industry, at the event hosted by UKAI and Chamber UK on 12 March.

“We certainly have better representation on boards now,” said Dunn of the technology industry, “but look at where the power lies.” She shared that only around 2% of venture capital funding goes to women-led businesses.

At the event chaired by Baroness Liz Barker, both speakers agreed that early education in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) was crucial to get women into AI.

Despite being capable in science, women choose not to study and work in it because they see the atmosphere as toxic, Dunn said: “It's really hard to recruit women into technology. Girls tend not to choose maths after GCSEs, even though they tend to get better results than boys in their GCSEs.” Dunn chaired the Your Life campaign, from 2014-2017, calling for more girls in the UK to take maths and science beyond GCSE.

She said that access to role models, and policies that reflect the diversity of women is key. “It's kind of obvious, but no one really talks about it. Women are not all the same. They don't want or need the same things, and sadly we're not easily classified into our age and whether we're married or not. It's more complicated, right?”

Dunn’s third book, When She’s In The Room, which has this month become available in the US in paperback, explores the findings from The Female Lead’s Fulfilment Finder survey of over 150,000 women, which uncovers what drives them and satisfies them at different stages of life.

Dunn also called for inclusive workplace cultures, noting the ‘Power of Two’ concept from When She’s in the Room, which calls for partnerships of opposites in leadership.

She stressed that data confirms that women are an economic powerhouse: 70 to 80% of all purchasing decisions are made by women. “We're decision makers, we're not shopaholics.”

This logic applies to AI leadership as well, Dunn reasoned: “We have to move beyond token representation and create real pathways for women in AI leadership.”

Lane Fox called for all women to see themselves as part of the AI industry and to try out tools in their work and personal life. “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. We need women involved at every stage of AI development, from coding to governance,” she said. “Frankly I don't think there's any excuse right now.”

Dunn stressed that while there are concerns about women’s place in AI; she is “hugely excited” about “massive wealth and investment coming towards women” as industry starts to recognise their economic value. She highlighted the growing area of Femtech as an example of this. “We are actually going to be able to have personalised, better solutions for things like hormone balancing. I think that's fantastic and I think there's going to be a lot of money coming.”

When She’s In The Room: How Empowering Women Empowers the World is available in the UK in hardback, ebook and audiobook, and now available in the US in paperback

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Many women will have experienced some form of misogyny at work – whether it’s pay inequality, being overlooked for a promotion after children, or everyday microaggressions – it can be tough to know how to point it out in the moment, or raise it formally later.

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day (March 8), which celebrates the achievements of women, and marks a key date in the fight for gender equality, female CEOs, presidents and founders share their advice for other women dealing with sexism at work.

Challenge misogynistic language

“Throughout my career, I’ve learned that calling out sexism isn’t just about the big moments – it’s in the everyday conversations, the subtle biases, and the assumptions that go unchallenged,” says Sue Doughty, partner of Aptia Group.

“I make a conscious effort to address problematic language. When words like ‘nagging’ or ‘going on’ are used to describe women’s contributions – terms rarely applied to men – I don’t let it slide.

“Whether in the moment or in a private conversation later, I make sure colleagues understand how certain words and attitudes can undermine women in the workplace.

“Equally important is ensuring that women’s voices are heard. I actively encourage female colleagues to speak up in meetings, support their ideas, and challenge the notion that being assertive is a negative trait in women.”

Document everything

Viviane Paxinos, CEO of AllBright – supporting women in professional development – and Everywoman UK – which connects women in business, says: “Firstly, document everything.

“Not because you’re being paranoid, but because you’re being smart. Those ‘small’ comments, those ‘jokes’, those moments that made you uncomfortable – write them down. Trust me, patterns emerge, and when they do, you want evidence, not just memory.

“Second, choose your moments wisely. Sometimes, the best approach is to address it in the moment, [asking] ‘Could you explain what you mean by that?’ Other times, it’s about building your case and taking it through the proper channels. Both approaches are valid – it’s about using the right tool for the situation.

“And remember: You’re not being ‘difficult’. You’re being a leader. Leadership often means having uncomfortable conversations that ultimately make workplaces better for everyone.”

Be ready to leave a job

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, president of the British Science Association and co-founder of the Stemettes, and one of our amazing Female Leads, says: “My advice is two-fold. One is don’t do it alone, there’ll be employee resource groups, they’ll be networks, they’ll be allies you’ll have. It’s something you’ll have to do using existing structures internally in the workplace, to leverage that.

Want to read more about our Female Leads? Discover The Female Lead's inspiring book, featuring 67 remarkable women who redefine success. Their stories of resilience, talent, and bravery prove that there is no single path to fulfilment.

“And also, always be ready to move, already be ready to leave, always be ready to explore other places and other routes and options. Don’t feel like it’s your fight that you have to fight in that particular workplace – you don’t always necessarily owe them that.”

Don’t be afraid of open conversations

“Sexism and gender inequality persist when they go unchallenged,” says Pascale Harvie, president and general manager of JustGiving. “That’s why it’s so important to call out inappropriate behaviour as it happens. Inequality thrives in silence and change only happens when people are willing to speak up.

“As leaders, we have a responsibility to set the tone – open conversation about gender equality should be the norm, not the exception. When we make our voices heard, we build a workplace where transparency and accountability are expected, and discrimination has no place to hide.”

Pause after asking questions

President of WACL (Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership) Karen Stacey says her main piece of advice is to “challenge decisions with an open-ended question”.

She suggests: “Ask:, ‘Why did you say that?’ and ‘What did you mean?’ and then use the silence to your advantage.

“People always fill in the silence and usually, when they know they have said or done the wrong thing, come to that conclusion themselves and even work out how to rectify anything they have said that could be construed the wrong way. Use silence well, because it can often be your best weapon.”

Be quietly persistent

“Setting clear boundaries is crucial,” says Ellie Byrne, CEO of Truffle Social. “If you feel that your ideas or comments are being overlooked, keep bringing them to the table – consistently and unapologetically. Dismiss the dismisser by refusing to let their ignorance shake your confidence.

“Over time, you’ll often find that repetitive sexism starts to lose its power when met with quiet persistence. It might take a few goes (and a lot of patience!) but remind yourself that confidence is built through knowing your own worth, and when you lean into it, others will too.”

Men, stand up too

“The onus for standing up to sexism should not be solely on women,” points out chair and CEO of Kyriba, Melissa Di Donato. “We need male colleagues to be vocal in calling out sexist behaviour.

“My advice is to not just let inappropriate behaviour slide because you’re afraid of the repercussions – doing so only does yourself and others a disservice.

“Seek allies and mentors in your company and industry. Talk to senior leaders and peers you trust; ask for their guidance and lean on them for support. Having allies will give you more confidence in calling out sexist behaviour and serve as an important reminder that you’re not alone in facing bias.”

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By Terri Apter, psychologist and author of The Female Lead’s Disrupt Your Feed research

When I became a grandparent, I had to confront the ageist stereotype of a grandparent as an elderly person with limited interests, inhabiting the margins of life, passive and benign. But that was a myth: what I felt was something very different.

First was a fierce attachment to my grandson and a determination to be a significant person in his life.

Second, a new anxiety about my daughter’s wellbeing erupted with memories of my own early years as a mother, when I was caught between desire to be with my children and unyielding professional goals. As a psychologist, my response to this divided experience was to search for more data. This was the inspiration for my new book, Grandparenting.

Grandparents today, I discovered, are unlike any other generation of grandparents. The truth, as opposed to the myth, is that they live longer and are generally healthier and more active than their parents were at the same age. Many are still working, still focused on their careers, still driven by ambition or eagerness for adventure or the satisfaction of social contribution, and often by financial need.

This strong cohort, both grandmothers and grandfathers, have spearheaded shifts in female identity and in changing gender roles. As parents themselves, they were wary of being confined by the domestic, caring roles that limited their own mothers’ options. Paradoxically, as grandparents they take on the same caring roles to protect their feminist legacy. Childcare by grandparents is often crucial to their daughter’s (or daughter-in-law’s) career success.

Love of our offspring is accompanied by vulnerability to their needs, and motherhood remains a sticking point in women’s career progression.

During the lockdown periods of the COVID pandemic I worked with The Female Lead on a study of career women between the ages of 30 and 40. They were very clear about the career drag from maternity leave, noting the very different impact becoming a parent had on a mother versus a father. A father was likely to be seen as primed for promotion, given his new motivation and responsibility, whereas a new mother was seen as unready or unreliable. The effect on women was what we called the ‘Unentitled Mindset’: a feeling that they are less deserving of promotions and pay raises compared to men, leading to stalled career progression.

One new truth for women is that one third of working mothers in the UK rely on grandparents for childcare. This childcare is usually unpaid, but the UK Parliament has been told it contributes over £7 billion to the UK economy, with the saving to parents in childcare costs estimated at £96 billion. However, the cost to grandparents themselves from this arrangement has no official estimate.^,,

And another truth: costs to grandparents come in many forms – money, their own careers, their perceived obligations to others - as well as their personal energy and pleasures. But when I asked them about the costs, they focused on the relative costs, thinking about the younger woman they were helping. Giving up career opportunities has less impact on them than on the new parent in mid-career.

And some grandparents want to protect their daughters from what the television journalist Leslie Stahl called the ‘cold choices’ she made as a mother and journalist. Stahl remembered feeling torn between the joy of being with her young daughter and the joy of her career. In caring for her own young granddaughter, she can ease the vicarious fear of that daughter being sidelined in her career, while reassuring her that her child is in loving hands.

This new chapter in caring roles creates a new legacy: new bonds of engagement and gratitude, but also presents challenges as older women, as grandmothers, once again struggle with balancing their own needs with those of other family members.

They still have ‘ambition anxiety’ and want to achieve more and experience more themselves. They have a long history of resisting stereotypes about women’s caring roles, so returning to more or less regular stints of child care is not simple or straightforward. Each grandmother will make her own choices and set her own boundaries in this new phase of her life – a phase wherein she invests in young people’s future while continuing to enjoy her own very personal present.

Terri Apter’s book, Grandparenting: On Love and Relationships Across Generations, is available now

Read The Female Lead’s ‘Unentitled Mindset’ research

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By Weilong Zhang, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge

This article is from academic website The Conversation. It represents the author’s views alone, not those of The Female Lead.

When we think about what affects wages, we often focus on education, work experience or even sheer luck. But what about our perceived personality traits? Are they simply part of who we are, or do they play a larger role in determining our labour market success?

Recent research my colleagues and I conducted explores this question, uncovering how personality influences pay and job prospects – and even helps explain part of the persistent gender wage gap.

Using data from Germany’s Socio-Economic Panel (an annual survey tracking around 22,000 households), we explored how personality traits known as the big five – openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and emotional stability – influence wages and career success.

Our findings were striking: personality differences between men and women contribute to pay disparities just as much as work experience does.

Here’s the twist: women generally score higher for traits like agreeableness, which is often associated with social harmony. Yet this trait can result in lower wages due to reduced bargaining power.

Conversely, emotional stability, a trait that predicts resilience and composure, is linked to higher earnings. But research shows that women report higher levels of neuroticism (effectively the opposite of emotional stability) than men.

Traits like agreeableness and emotional stability are not inherently good or bad, but their value in the workplace is often shaped by societal norms and organisational cultures.

To understand how personality traits shape pay, we developed a job search and bargaining model. This model simulated how people with different traits search for jobs, negotiate wages and stay employed.

We found that conscientiousness and emotional stability are power players in the job market. These traits positively influence wages and help reduce the time spent in unemployment for both men and women. Conscientious people are often perceived as reliable and hardworking, while emotional stability allows people to handle stress effectively – both of which employers value highly.

But agreeableness, despite its social benefits, turns out to be a financial liability. Highly agreeable people tend to avoid conflict, which can make them less assertive in negotiations. This trait disproportionately affects women, who score higher on agreeableness on average.

We also found that equalising personality traits between genders could reduce the wage gap by nearly 20%. This finding underscores how much personality differences – not just structural factors like experience – drive gender disparities in earnings.

What was our most striking insight? Personality traits don’t just affect wages through job performance or productivity, they also shape how people negotiate salaries. For instance, workers with higher levels of emotional stability may approach salary negotiations with more confidence, leading to better outcomes. On the other hand, agreeableness, often associated with accommodating others, could hinder assertive bargaining.

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Women, who tend to display higher levels of agreeableness face a double penalty in the labour market. Not only are they perceived as less assertive negotiators, but the economic value of their agreeableness is often lower compared with men. Our study also found that lower emotional stability – linked to heightened stress or anxiety – reduces women’s bargaining power even more, amplifying the wage gap.

This dynamic reflects broader societal expectations and biases. Traits like assertiveness and competitiveness are often rewarded in professional settings, but they may be less accessible or desirable for people socialised differently. By penalising traits more commonly displayed by women, workplaces inadvertently reinforce gender-based inequities.

Consider a hypothetical example: two employees, one male and one female, apply for a managerial role. Both are equally qualified in terms of education and experience, but their personalities differ. The male candidate scores highly in emotional stability and low in agreeableness, traits associated with strong negotiation skills and assertiveness.

The female candidate scores higher in agreeableness and slightly lower in emotional stability. Despite their qualifications, the male candidate may be perceived as a better fit for the role due to implicit biases about what makes a “good leader”. As a result, the male candidate may receive a higher salary offer, even if his on-the-job performance ends up being equivalent.

This scenario, supported by our findings, underscores the importance of addressing biases in hiring and wage-setting practices.

Bridging the gap

What can be done to mitigate these disparities? Our study suggests the following strategies.

1. Redefine workplace norms. Organisations can re-evaluate how they reward traits like agreeableness and emotional stability. For example, valuing collaborative and empathetic leadership styles alongside assertiveness could create a more inclusive framework.

2. Provide negotiation training. Helping employees – particularly women – develop stronger negotiation skills could counteract some of the disadvantages linked to traits like agreeableness. Role-playing exercises and workshops can empower workers to advocate for themselves effectively.

3. Address structural biases. Employers should be aware of how implicit biases shape decisions about hiring, promotions and pay. Conducting regular audits of pay practices and implementing standardised evaluation criteria can help ensure fairness.

Our findings point to a critical conclusion: personality matters. But it doesn’t have to perpetuate inequality. By addressing the biases around personality traits, we can move towards a more equitable labour market.

Recognising the role of personality traits in shaping wages offers a new lens for understanding the gender pay gap. It shifts the conversation from issues like education or work experience to more nuanced factors that influence how people navigate the job market.

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Broadcaster Kay Burley has reflected on her career at Sky News and said she benefitted from “women supporting other women”.

Burley announced she was retiring from the channel, after 36 years, at the end of her breakfast programme on Wednesday, which was her last day on air with the broadcaster.

Responding to social media posts praising her work, Burley told BBC journalist Victoria Derbyshire and fellow Sky News presenter Sophy Ridge to “carry the torch”.

Ridge had said in a post to X: “I’ve learned so much from you Kay – thanks for smashing the ceilings.”

In response to a separate post praising Burley’s success, the veteran journalist said: “Women supporting other women is what I have benefitted from all my working life.”

The 64-year-old was one of the original presenters who helped launch Sky News in 1989, and she has presented the morning slot since 2019.

Closing her show, she said: “After over a million minutes of live TV news, more than anyone else in the world, it’s time for me to indulge in some of my other passions, including my love for travel.

“So, after covering 12 separate general elections, including Sir Keir Starmer’s victory last year, I am retiring from Sky News, let politicians of every party just rejoice at that news.

“Thank you for waking up and tuning in every morning. I can’t tell you how much I have appreciated your support over the last three-and-a-half decades – you’re awesome.

“I will post more on my social media and hope to see you around. Please keep in touch.”

Her last day also coincided with Sky News’s 36th birthday and she used her final moments to pay tribute to how it had progressed from a “standing start to one of the most recognised and valued brands in global news”.

She added: “It’s been an honour and privilege to work with some of the best and hardest working teams in the business.

“News by its very nature is often devastating and together we’ve covered so many life-changing events: from the tragic death of Diana; the shocking terror attack of 9/11; the Asian tsunami; the Concorde air disaster.

“But we’ve also enjoyed some wonderful high notes too, haven’t we? The thrill of London winning the chance to host the 2012 Olympics, a plethora of royal weddings, jubilees, and who can forget days and days and days of waiting for royal babies to arrive at the Lindo Wing.”

Raised in Wigan, Lancashire, Burley took her first steps into journalism reporting for the Wigan Evening Post and Chronicle aged 17.

She later secured a job with the BBC on its local radio stations and then Tyne Tees Television, before joining the now defunct TV-am in 1985 as a reporter and occasional newsreader.

Burley was recruited for the fledgling Sky News in 1989 as one of its founding presenters.

In September 2018, the broadcaster was given her own show on Sky News as part of a major shake-up at the channel and a year later she moved to the breakfast time slot.

During the coronavirus pandemic, she regularly grilled politicians about lockdown rules and questioned then Cabinet minister Michael Gove on the controversy over former No 10 adviser Dominic Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle in May 2020.

But in December 2020, Burley was suspended from her role for six months after an internal review found she broke Covid-19 rules during celebrations for her 60th birthday.

Burley later apologised for her actions, describing herself as an “idiot” and agreeing that she was “appropriately sanctioned” by the channel.

Meanwhile, in October 2023, Sky News conceded that on-air remarks by Burley about the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Dr Husam Zomlot, “gave a potentially misleading representation” of his views after 1,537 complaints were made to the media watchdog Ofcom about the segment.

In a note shared with staff on Wednesday, Sky News executive chairman David Rhodes thanked Burley for her “huge contribution to Sky, to the art of the interview and to British journalism”, and wished her “the best of luck”.

He added: “With millions of minutes presenting live rolling news, Kay’s legacy in television journalism is unmatched, as is her commitment to Sky’s legacy.

“I’m sure some MPs in Westminster will sleep easy knowing they won’t face her indomitable questioning in the mornings.

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“Kay confirmed that today was her final broadcast with Sky News. Of course, Breakfast continues – with the other current presenters and with our Friday-Sunday team.”

Sky News political editor Beth Rigby hailed Burley as a “trailblazer and inspiration to a whole generation of women”, while former Sky News journalist Adam Boulton said “there are no other women of her background who have had such an impact on British news and current affairs”.

Former BBC Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, who secured the Newsnight interview with the Duke of York, said she was “devastated” to hear Burley was retiring, describing her as a “total inspiration” to her as a single parent and woman from a different background.

John Simpson, presenter of BBC News’ Unspun World, said he was “very sorry the excellent Kay Burley won’t be gracing Sky News from now on”.

The US embassy in London also wished Burley well for her future and called her grilling of their diplomats a “rite of passage”.

BBC journalist Derbyshire said Burley has “blazed an absolute trail” for female journalists.

Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid added that Burley is “a fierce advocate for viewers, a powerful interviewer and a supporter of women in television”.

In response to this, Burley said: “Thank you my dear friend. Women who support other women are a special breed.”

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By Anne Skeldon, Professor of Mathematics, Head of School, School of Mathematics & Physics, University of Surrey, Derk-Jan Dijk Professor of Sleep and Physiology and Director of Surrey Sleep Research Centre, University of Surrey and Steven W Lockley, Visiting Professor, Surrey Sleep Research Centre, University of Surrey

This article is from academic website The Conversation. It represents the author’s views alone, not those of The Female Lead.

The right to request a short working week, with four longer “shifts” and three days off is being proposed as part of new flexible working legislation in the UK. Also known as working “compressed hours”, this schedule can sound attractive, with reports claiming improved efficiency and productivity. And, of course, no pay cut for workers.

It could result in fewer commutes, which saves time for workers and can be more environmentally friendly. And it could provide more flexibility for workers with childcare or care for other dependants, for example.

But there could be negative consequences to squeezing typical workloads into fewer days. Under these plans, there is no suggestion that by compressing the working week, people will work fewer hours.

Compressed hours mean that, instead of working 7.5 hours a day for five days, you would work 9.4 hours per day for four days – putting in almost two hours more work every working day. There is strong evidence that longer work hours result in more errors and accidents. Long work hours are also linked to poorer decision-making and make it more likely people will have an accident on their drive home.

For example, it has long been understood that working longer shifts increases the risk of workplace accident and injuries. The risk of a workplace accident is on average 13% higher for a ten-hour shift than an eight-hour shift.

Accident risk remains more or less constant for the first eight or so hours of work but then rises rapidly, so that the risk of an accident in the tenth hour of work is 90% higher than in the first eight hours.

To function effectively and safely at work relies on sufficient sleep, ideally at the right time of day and in a regular pattern. This is based on fundamental physiological factors that cannot be changed by training, motivation or professionalism.

Getting into sleep debt

These factors that determine our ability to function are driven by time of day, how long we have been awake and accumulated sleep debt. For example, humans are sleepier during the night than the day, and it can take between two and four hours after waking to achieve full alertness.

What’s more, our ability to function decreases rapidly after we have been awake for 16 hours, and especially so at night.

But what are the health consequences of a compressed hours schedule? It is already commonplace for people to have shorter periods of sleep during the working week and then try to catch up with sleep at the weekend, with mixed results.

If people work compressed hours, then on working days they have to fit in two extra hours of work but still carry out all the other activities in their daily lives. They still need to wash, eat, communicate, provide care for children and others.

So there’s a real chance that compressed hours then also lead to “compressed sleep” and accentuate irregular patterns of rest or chronic sleep debt. Irregular or insufficient sleep is increasingly associated with a higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, certain cancers and dementia – the leading causes of mortality in wealthy nations. In 2017, the economic cost of insufficient sleep in the UK alone was estimated as US$50 billion (£40 billion), up to 1.86% of GDP.

The negative effect of chronic sleep loss accumulates more rapidly than experts previously realised. This knock-on effect is most severe during night shifts, especially when those shifts are long. There are good reasons why the UK regulator, the Health and Safety Executive, supports the EU working time directive, which imposes constraints on the length, timing and number of shifts.

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If the concept of fewer but longer work shifts is accepted, what happens next? Why not propose three 12.5-hour workdays a week, or two 18.75-hour workdays? Why not work 24 hours a day and then work only eight days a month?

This sounds fanciful, and yet it is happening. Several UK fire services have moved to 24-hour shifts, following the trend in North America where 24, 48 or even longer duty hours are common for firefighters. Also in North America, many physicians work 24-hour shifts or longer, with well-documented negative consequences including higher rates of serious medical errors and surgical complications, and increased accident risk on the drive home when compared to shorter shifts.

It’s certainly true that some workers prefer to work longer days, for example to have longer blocks of time off for childcare. But at what point do concerns over the safety of employees and the people they interact with – as well as the negative effects (and financial costs) on long-term health – outweigh employee preference?

Compressed hours of work may be effective in some scenarios for some people and businesses. But if compressed hours of work lead to compressed sleep, then we need to recognise the negative consequences.

New legislation should build in sufficient guidance and protections for both employers and employees, plus it should be evidence-based. With wearable tech like smartwatches to track behaviour, it should be feasible to collect information on sleep, health, near misses and accidents. Then mathematical models and AI could be used to design individualised work schedules that are healthy and productive for everyone.

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Myleene Klass has questioned how you can place the loss of a child in the same bracket as someone having a cold as she campaigned for paid bereavement leave to be extended to those who experience a miscarriage.

The former Hear’Say singer, who is mother to daughters Ava and Hero and son Apollo, has suffered four miscarriages and often spoken openly about the psychological effects of baby loss on women.

MPs from the Women and Equalities Committee in the UK are calling for a law change to ensure paid bereavement leave is available to women and their partners who experience a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks as they say sick leave is an “inappropriate and inadequate form of employer support” for this experience.

Since April 2020 employees can be eligible for statutory parental bereavement leave and pay if there is a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, but there is no specific leave for a pre-24 week loss in the form of miscarriage.

Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, Klass said: “With bereavement leave, the parameters or the boundaries for both the employee and the employer are very clear.

“This is not the first time that this has been mooted, which is, I guess, frustrating, but again, at the same time, it shows the importance that people do feel we need this change.

“It’s integral to looking after both the women and the family’s mental health. How can you dismiss the loss of a child as in the same bracket or the same arena as someone having a common cold and just needing to go and see a GP.

“There has been a baby loss and that should be acknowledged.”

The committee has said an estimated more than one in five pregnancies end before 24 weeks, with between 10% and 20% of pregnancies ending in the first 12 weeks, known as early miscarriage.

Klass, 46, explained there is no data collection on miscarriages and a lack of understanding on why they occur.

“We don’t have any idea whether fertility issues or miscarriage runs in families, because we have been taught for so long as women to keep silent”, she said.

“It’s a deep, dark secret, even the first trimester, we keep silent in our pregnancy…

“Then what happens is you then need to go to your doctor, or you then need to go to your employer and say I was pregnant, and now I’ve lost a baby, and it’s a double whammy, and this secrecy is something that is an actual effective prison for women.”

The musician and campaigner said the former government previously told her extending the paid bereavement leave would “cost them too much”.

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“I asked them ‘What does too much look like?’ And they didn’t have a figure because there was no data collected”, she added.

She said it would “cost everyone far less” if there was a consolidated point for women to go to and “get the correct treatment they deserve”.

The musician, presenter and entrepreneur, who is an ambassador for the pregnancy and baby charity Tommy’s, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to women’s health, miscarriage awareness and to charity in the New Year Honours list.

Also among those campaigning is Labour MP Sarah Owen, who has experienced three miscarriages.

She said that getting sick leave for her pregnancy loss “reinforced the idea that was something wrong with myself, something that I had done something wrong.

“It was my fault that I’d miscarried. And actually, that’s not true.”

She added: “You need time to grieve, and you need to feel supported, and you, especially as a woman, need to feel that this wasn’t your fault, because there’s enough going on at that time.”

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By Amy Combrinck, negotiation expert, coach and speaker

Negotiation doesn’t have to be intimidating. It’s not just about striking deals; it’s about building confidence, advocating for yourself and shaping the life you want.

Whether it’s a salary increase, flexible working arrangements or major life decisions like buying a house, it’s a basic survival skill for life’s complexities. Successful negotiations are built on collaboration, empathy and mutual benefit.

I’ve interviewed seasoned negotiators from various industries for my podcast, Negotiation Illuminators.

Here are the tips they swear by:

1. “Never just ‘blag it’”

(from a CMO at IAB)

Preparation is key. Spend more time researching, preparing and building your case than actually negotiating. Gather “irrefutable facts” — it’s not bragging or ego if you have the evidence. Know your superpowers. Get a notebook and jot down your proudest moments. Create a folder for every “praise” email or piece of outstanding work. Write down your goal and what you bring to the table (on paper as writing helps trigger your memory).

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2. “Ask for more than what you want”

(from an ex Google SVP Partnerships)

When setting your goals, have both an upper and lower limit. The lower limit should be better than what you have today. The upper limit? That’s the goal that gets you jumping out of bed in the morning! Aim closer to your upper limit because there’s nearly always room for negotiation.

3. “You can’t stop your reactions, but you can learn to understand them”

(from an ex Facebook Global Head of Trading)

The amygdala in our brain triggers fear responses to protect us from threats such as a scary bear coming to eat us - think “fight or flight”. Replace the bear with your boss, interviewer, or child at bedtime. We can’t help our hearts racing and our emotions reacting during negotiations, but we can learn to notice it and manage it. The prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, struggles to work when the amygdala is in overdrive. Next time you feel anxious in a negotiation, pause. Take a moment. Drink some water. It gives your brain the chance to reset.

4. “Whoever asks the questions controls the conversation”

(Author and former Publisher at HarperCollins)

Asking questions shifts the focus and encourages openness. It builds trust and reveals the other person’s true interests. But remember, there’s a difference between listening to hear and listening just to respond. When you’re listening, stay fully present. People can sense when someone’s not being genuine, so make sure you really listen.

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5. “Put yourself in the other person’s shoes”

(Director of Advanced Advertising, ITV)

This is where most negotiations fail — by not considering the other person’s perspective. You might be well-prepared, but if you haven’t thought about what’s keeping the other person up at night, you won’t succeed. What might they need? How can you help them reach their goals? If you don’t know them personally, do research and build your knowledge. Notice their body language and think about what that is really showing you. A person twirling a bat in a negotiation isn’t feeling collaborative or well-prepared.

6. “Build confidence by doing”

(Me, ex Google, Negotiation Dynamo)

Negotiation is not a gift — it’s a skill. You build confidence by doing, not avoiding. Practice negotiating, learn what works for you and evolve with each experience. And remember: "You get in life what you have the courage to ask for,” as Oprah Winfrey said. Negotiation is not about being aggressive or manipulative; it’s about finding common ground, advocating for yourself and creating opportunities for success. You’ve got this!

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It’s nearing the end of 2024 and you’re reflecting on the year you had at work.

Beyond surviving another twelve months of emails, Zoom calls and worrying about whether your company is going to call you into the office five days a week, you’re probably also thinking of how you absolutely crushed it: or at least how hard you worked.

Hopefully, your boss will recognise your efforts and put you up for a raise or promotion, right? Maybe you’ve thought that for years in a row, and hope this will be the year it actually happens.

Stop waiting and ask.

The UN estimates it will take 257 years to close the pay gap and one reason of many is women’s reluctance to ask for a pay rise. Each year, women lose over $1 trillion in the US alone due to it.

But getting paid more isn’t only about asking. It’s not something you can do in one move. You have to be strategic and plan over the next twelve months, so that you have the evidence to make your ask compelling.

A conversation with your manager is less daunting when you’ve been preparing for it throughout the year, and have shared your goals from the beginning.

Here are four critical strategies to close your own pay gap in 2025:

1. Set goals that matter

Most people look at goal setting as projects they want to get done over the year. While this is okay, you also want to think about the goals that matter – the ones to get you promoted. Ask your manager and other senior execs, which ones they value and consider a shoe-in for advancement, then keep benchmarking yourself against them over the year.

2. Identify decision makers

it’s not enough your manager thinks you’re great, because these decisions are typically made at higher levels. Find out who the decision makers are and build a relationship with them throughout the year. Let them hear from you directly about what you and your team are working on.

3. Quantify your impact

During performance reviews, you’re naturally trying to list all your achievements but to make your case for a raise or promotion, you need to quantify their impact. This is the “so what?” equivalent that ties back to your goals. Quantify at least two or three achievements, which means writing a $, % or # sign next to them. For promotions, demonstrate how you’ve saved the company time or money or directly helped increase profitability or revenue.

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4. Assess your market value

Women are paid 20% less, so to close your pay gap, you have to find out how your salary compares to the marketplace. Data is your friend and no one can refute “I’ve done the research and competitive pay for similar roles is 15-20% higher than my current salary. What can we do to solve this so I feel valued for my contributions?” Take the time over the year to gather pay ranges from job descriptions at similar companies, talk to recruiters, and check third party tools like Payscale. Talk to women and men so you get a balanced view.

If you haven’t yet, start planning, and then start asking.

Ask for the raise. Ask for the promotion. And if you don’t get it, ask for actionable feedback, and try again in six months or a year.

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Men taking more parental leave could be the key to keeping new mothers at work and boosting business success, a panel of business and motherhood experts has said.

The panel, at Edelman UK’s London office in November, discussed the findings of The Female Lead and Peanut’s groundbreaking From Labour Ward to Labour Force report, which found that a fifth of returning mothers thought encouraging men to take more parental leave is the best way employers can help mothers at work.

The research spoke to 8,000 mothers who had recently returned to work after a baby, and revealed that more than half weren’t satisfied with the support they got. Of those, a staggering 47% plan to leave their jobs in the next year. Yet it uncovered that when women get the support they need, they are more loyal, more productive and stay at a company longer.

The research reveals women mainly return to work for financial reasons, but close to half said they went back for a sense of personal fulfilment (56%), independence (45%) or to achieve their career goals (44%).

Fathers taking more leave is crucial to helping women transition back to work successfully.

Francesca Woodhouse, Managing Director, UK Workplace Advisory, Edelman UK, said: “If we overlook the role of that birthing partner, then we will lose some of the momentum that we can gain from this research, and the economic benefits.”

“Having fathers being actively involved from the very beginning is incredibly important for the child's development,” said Jessica Chivers, return to work coach and author. “It has a really significant effect on women's careers if we encourage men to take the same amount of leave as women”.

Chivers cited research that found that when fathers are able to take parental leave flexibly in Sweden, prescriptions for antidepressants and antibiotics for new mothers went down. “It’s stressful to be at home by yourself,” she said. “It takes a toll on your health and wellbeing, so it just shows it's all interlinked. We need men taking time off and we need cheaper childcare.”

“There's a lot of evidence that the extent to which fathers are involved in the early years of child rearing affects the stability of the family, and I would argue then that brings stability to society, and all sorts of other benefits,” said David Wreford, a partner at Mercer.

But significant barriers exist to this happening, Wreford explained. “There’s a whole set of societal things which I think need to change, because we have the legal facility to do that [in the UK] with shared parental leave arrangements. but a lot of companies don't advocate it. And then you've got the equal pay issues as well: because men earn more, it's more cost effective for the women to take the leave.”

“If a man is the bigger earner, then it doesn't make sense for him to be away from the workplace,” Chivers added. “But we do need men to be taking shared parental leave. We need much better childcare infrastructure and we need it heavily subsidised.”

One female audience member told the panel: “My husband would have loved to have been at home for a year with the kids, and he would have been a much better parent, but he had no choice.

“I couldn't wait to get back to work. Not all [women] want to be at home, and we've got men that can actually do that job very well, but society and the structure does not enable that right now.”

The panel agreed that social attitudes and workplace culture need to shift to support men taking more leave. Edwina Dunn, founder of The Female Lead, said: “I think if women feel that often they're excluded from some of the dynamics of the workplace, I also feel men are trapped by the traditions of yesteryear.

“We're not going to grow as an economy if we don't keep women in the workplace,” Dunn explained. “We need two adults working per household, even to get on the property ladder.”

Wreford noted that the decision of whether a household moves from 2 to 3 children in the UK can be linked to the affordability of a car: “That's the kind of level of financial discussion that's going on.”

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“We really have to consider that the majority of women who are surveyed [in From Labour Ward to Labour Force] are in two-person relationships: 79% are married,” said Woodhouse. “That is how we're living, so we need to factor that in: particularly in those early years of child rearing.”

Wreford said he has seen retail employers that offer “grandparental leave”, and that models of this kind could benefit mothers further as they “return us to thinking about the family not as so nuclear, but having a more extended nature”.

Woodhouse said: “Until we have greater allyship, it's not really going to change.”

But she noted that “take up is increasing year on year” for offers of enhanced parental leave for men or birthing partners, and that the situation for mothers at work in the UK is already radically different today compared to a decade ago.

“Having had two children 14 and 15 years ago, and two children 20 months and three years ago respectively, more flexibility for my partner has made my return to a senior role that is pretty full on, much better. It has been a totally different experience.”

Chivers urged the audience to: “Go and talk to your male colleagues about flexible working and when you know there's an expectant dad around, talk to him about flexible working: ‘Are you taking a shared parental leave? If not, why not?’”

The Female Lead has created an extensive and practical toolkit for employers to support mothers when they return to work.

Download it here and please consider donating to help us continue to conduct research and provide resources to businesses and women around the world.

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