This International Women’s Day, don’t just criticise the pace of change – be the change

I was the first woman in my family to go to university and build a professional career. That was more than ambition; it was a generational shift. My father had hoped for a son, and instead he got me. But he never looked back, raising me to believe there was nothing I could not do.

So I began my career assuming I belonged in the room. From the early days I was comfortable chairing meetings full of (much older) men. I did not see my gender as a barrier.

But I soon learned that confidence and capability are not enough. Progression depends on what happens when you are not in the room – and whether someone is willing to stand behind you.

The single biggest influence on my career and its trajectory has been the support of clients. Their trust created credibility, and that credibility travelled. It travelled to consultants, to colleagues and across the organisations I worked for. That backing made the difference.

Because talent does not advance itself. People advance people.

This is something I’ve come to understand over time. I’ve been lucky, in terms of the belief my parents gave me, in the structural advantages I inherited and in the clients who backed me at pivotal moments.

It is because of these factors that mentoring and sponsoring others is not optional for me. It is the responsibility that comes with influence. It is how progress happens. Without it, nothing changes. It is only fair.

The progress on equality over the past decades is real, but it has been painfully slow. This makes me angry. Angry that mid-career women are still underestimated. Angry that comfort and familiarity still shape progression. Angry that we are still talking about things which should have been settled years ago.

We know what works. We know talent is not the issue. And here is the uncomfortable truth: many of us are no longer waiting for power, we already have it. We sit on boards, lead teams, shape culture. We influence appointments. We decide who gets visibility and who gets the next opportunity.

This means we cannot simply criticise the pace of change, for we are the pace of change. If we want things to move faster, we have to sponsor differently. We have to challenge bias in real time. We have to say the overlooked name in the room, and mean it.

This is not about symbolism. It is about power. And pay. It is about who gets real choice in their life. And calling out prejudice when we see it.

The progress may be slow, but we’re not without agency. And we don’t need anyone’s approval to act.

Maribel Mantecon, architect and senior associate, HTA Design