When will Women of Color Lead the Way?!
In my last column, I discussed the strategic use of color in marketing and how brands can leverage it for their advantage. Today, I want to shift the focus to another critical aspect of color: the experiences of women of color in the workplace.
A few years ago, I chose to work as a freelance marketer for several reasons, but two were particularly decisive. First, freelancing allows me to collaborate with various companies and I meet different people which gives me the opportunity to absorb different ideas from the people that I meet. Second, and closely related, it gives me control over my own career growth. Starting my professional journey at 20 with one of the Big Four consultancy firms and transitioning to the childcare industry by 30, I realized that ascending to leadership roles was challenging, if not almost impossible.
Don’t get me wrong—I believe in ownership, persistence, and hard work. I’ve managed to become a Marketing and Communications Manager. However, as an ambitious woman, I question whether a directorship is within my reach. In 18 years working in corporate Netherlands, I have not seen women of color in leadership roles, not even in companies where women make up the majority of the workforce.
An article from Catalyst in 1998 highlighted that women of color perceived their advancement opportunities as less favorable than those of white women. Major barriers included the absence of influential mentors or sponsors, lack of informal networking with influential colleagues, lack of company role models of the same race or ethnic group, and lack of high-visibility projects.
Nearly two decades later, these issues persist. Women of color continue to face discrimination at every stage of the recruitment process, particularly for leadership roles. A report by ENAR documented the compounded disadvantages and discrimination women of color in Europe face, stemming from the intersection of race, gender, and class.
Clearly, we still have a long way to go. I hope that by the time my daughters become young women, they will see role models in leadership positions who represent them. Not as an exeception but as a little luxury.
For now, I plan to address this topic more frequently in my columns, interviewing women of color in the Netherlands and abroad about their workplace experiences.
Stay tuned…
