A friend of mine, the only woman on a surgical team, masked up and took her place around the operating table with the other male physicians. The lead surgeon addressed his four team members. “Good morning, Gentlemen.” My friend’s eyes arched. She replied “Good morning Dr. Taylor,” expecting appropriate recognition. The lead surgeon ignored her and went on with the operation. Later, when she told him she felt dismissed, invisible and insignificant, he said she was being too sensitive. This might sound like a harmless event, but it’s emblematic of gender inequality that’s still alive and “unwell” in 2025.
Gender Inequality In 2025
What’s wrong with this picture? My friend is not alone by any means. A staggering 78% of working women are labeled “too emotional” or “too sensitive” versus 11% of men. So, it’s no surprise that only six percent of CEOs are female. For centuries, the boardroom has been dominated by prejudice, insisting that men are simply more fit for leadership.
In a previous story for Forbes.com, Eliza VanCort, bestselling author of A Woman’s Guide to Claiming Space: Stand Tall. Raise Your Voice. Be Heard, told me that women are taught to be caretakers in their communication, and men probably expect it, too. “We (women) are taught to look for signs of distress so we can manage it, handle it,” she points out. “So we may feel ill at ease not knowing if someone is upset with us, even if we don’t think we did anything wrong. Also, women often receive push back for direct communication in a way that often men do not. It may be harder for a woman to directly say, ‘Hey I’m not really okay with this. Can you elaborate?’ than it would be for a man.”
Under federal law gender discriminatio–when an employee is treated differently or unfairly based on their gender–is illegal. A published study concluded that female academic internal medicine hospitalists routinely encounter gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment. Among 18 institutions surveyed, women frequently report inappropriate touch, sexual remarks, gestures and suggestive looks. And female doctors, more than male doctors, cite that their gender negatively impacted their career opportunities.
Breaking The Gender Inequality Glass Ceiling
As we celebrate Women’s History Month this March, Natalia Shahmetova, CEO of Woofz by nove8, knows the struggle all too well. She told me that her achievements have often been overlooked, her decisions doubted and her behavior misjudged. But despite the temptation to throw in the towel, she pushed through and carved her path to the top. Shahmetova shared four lessons she learned on her journey to the C-suite, with the hope of inspiring future generations of female leaders to rise up and transform that six percent into a powerful 50%.
1. Your past achievements will be overlooked. Before taking on the role of CEO, Shahmetova remembers spending three years as a Product Marketing Manager and Product Marketing Lead, overseeing the performance marketing team, testing growth hypotheses and ensuring products reached peak profitability. She mentioned a track record of growth and that her CV speaks for itself. Yet, when talks about appointing a new CEO began, she says the conversation focused on strong, emotionally-resilient men who could come in, ‘fix everything’ and scale the company. “Unsurprisingly, no female leaders were mentioned,” she says.
2. Women are just too emotional. Shahmetova argues that the negative statistic that paints women as too emotional implies that they are too unstable to make balanced decisions. “Meanwhile, men are perceived as more resilient and less empathetic, making them more willing to make ruthless choices for the good of the company,” she states. “Yet, emotions aren’t limited to any gender, nor is emotional intelligence a liability. Rather, research shows that it’s a critical skill for successful CEOs, with cheer, calm and pride a hallmark of positive leadership. By understanding the emotional aspects of a situation and responding with empathy and composure, you’re bound to make better decisions and build better relationships that benefit your team and business.”
3. Gender discrimination doesn’t have to halt your career. Shahmetova explains that the higher she’s climbed, the more she has noticed gender discrimination, which exists at every level and every department: hiring biases, unequal pay, access to funding and much more. “But obstacles exist for everyone, and you shouldn’t let them stop you from achieving your career goals,” she notes. “The corporate world will provide you with no shortage of challenges. It’s the ability to overcome anything thrown at you—not your gender—that sets good leaders apart.”
4. There’s only one way to prove doubters wrong: get results. “Unfair assumptions are frustrating, but don’t waste your energy fighting them—that only proves them right,” Shahmetova argues. “The only way to show the board that you’re the person for the role is to prove it. Once they see you have a clear strategy supported by solid revenue growth, how can they argue against your credentials?” she asks. “Facts and figures don’t lie.” As a female leader, she acknowledges you may have to fight harder to be recognized, but once you prove your value, she insists that questions over your suitability will quickly subside.
A Final Takeaway On Gender Inequality
“Despite progress, gender discrimination still lingers in the modern workplace. Yet, for powerful women, it’s just another obstacle on their path to the top,” says Shahmetova. “Remember, it’s always better to be warned than caught off guard.”
Just under 10% of CEO’s in America’s top companies are female, which can create hopelessness for young women who want to become a C-suite executive. But the fact that female CEOs outperformed their male counterparts in 2024, bringing in five percent more revenue, brightens the hope that women can thrive in the face of gender inequality in the future.