International Women’s Day: 100 women reveal biggest obstacle they faced on their way to success

One hundred women have told news.com.au the obstacles they’ve had to jump, with even TV stars and CEOs sharing familiar struggles.

She’s a former Australian Democrats Senator, diplomat, advocate and author — but Natasha Stott Despoja’s career has been rocked by “harassment, sexism and double standards”.

“As a relatively young advisor, then Senator, I confronted ridiculous and outdated stereotypes about what constitutes leadership,” the UN Committee Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and Women for Progress member told news.com.au.

“Women — especially in public life — are so often characterised by their appearance, age and marital status. The idea that these would somehow determine my suitability for office was, at times, shocking to me and occasionally debilitating.

“But, like many women, I persevered and the combination of solid friends, like-minded networks and the sisterhood (I have been part of the women’s movement since I was a kid) have spurred me on.”

Lisa Wilkinson, Melissa Leong and Natalie Walker are among 100 women who have shared the obstacles they’ve had to jump with news.com.au ahead of International Women’s Day.

Lisa Wilkinson – one of Australia’s most accomplished and beloved journalists – tells a similar story.

Ask any young media hopeful whose career they might hope to emulate, and hers is a name that no doubt comes up again and again. Yet The Project host has spent her career overcoming the barriers in her way, ones placed there simply because of her gender.

“Like a lot of women, the most common obstacle I’ve encountered over the years has been in challenging old ideas, stale old ways of thinking and firmly entrenched power structures more suited to generations long past,” Wilkinson told news.com.au.

“It always happens when those in power want to do all of the talking and none of the listening.”

Women are told we can do anything, but in reality, there is so much in the way of our success. Ahead of International Women’s Day 2022, news.com.au is highlighting the obstacles women have to jump and celebrating what we can overcome.

For Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor and Associate Provost at Melbourne University, Marcia Langton, and MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong, it wasn’t just the stereotypes ascribed to being a woman that they had to overcome.

“Being an Aboriginal woman doesn’t mean being twice as good as others to have one’s capabilities recognised,” Prof Langton told news.com.au.

“One must be twice as good because of the racism and then as well twice as good because of sexism and misogyny. The workload involved often doesn’t result in rewards because excellence is not a proof of one’s merit amongst racists and misogynists.”

Leong said she’s “made a life of wanting to defy the expectations of what an Asian woman can or should do in this country”.

“From tough sports, to living on an abattoir, and not being an accountant, doctor or lawyer, I have fought every day to carve out my own path, and I don’t regret a single choice I’ve made in that endeavour,” she said.

Goodstart Early Learning deputy chair and member of Women For Progress Natalie Walker said she faced additional challenges as a working mum, particularly in finding high-quality and affordable early learning for her children who are also Aboriginal.

“Knowing my kids are being cares for, getting ready for school in addition to having their culture recognised and respected while my husband and I are at work is a huge weight lifted,” she said.

These are just some of the obstacles women have faced on the road to achieving success and satisfaction in not just their careers, but their everyday lives. You don’t have to be a TV host, politician or professor to recognise them.

News.com.au spoke to 100 women ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8 about the greatest challenges they’d overcome in order to succeed. Despite their differing ages, industries, upbringings and ethnicities, many of their experiences were the same.

News.com.au spoke to 100 women about the greatest obstacle they've overcome to achieve success or satisfaction.

For Women with Disabilities Australia president Jess White and author, journalist and sexual assault survivor advocate, Nina Funnell, as survivors of abuse both have had to overcome the “attitudes” of other people.

“When I was 23 I was bashed, choked and indecently sexually assaulted. Our capacity to recover following sexual assault is directly linked to the attitudes we encounter on disclosure,” Funnell told news.com.au.

“Thankfully, I was listened to, believed and supported. Then in 2018 I created the #LetHerSpeak campaign to give voice to all survivors of sexual violence.”

For Ms White, “the most painful aspect of my life where this applies is living as an abuse survivor”.

“We really need to reflect on biases we hold regarding gender (and disability): this goes for employment, education, agency and every aspect of daily life — including how we, as a society, respond to (or, ideally, prevent) violence,” she added.

Sexual assault survivor Grace Tame and Walkley winning journalist Nina Funnell have worked tirelessly to give sexual assault survivors a voice. Picture: Supplied

But one of, if not the most common responses we got was the role that self doubt and that dreaded feeling of “impostor syndrome” have played in holding women back.

Everyone from TV presenter Deborah Hutton to podcast host Tanya Hennessey, to Selling Houses Australia host Wendy Moore and veteran broadcaster Caroline Jones said the biggest hurdle they’d overcome was their own (lack of) self belief.

“My greatest challenge has often been my own self belief and having the confidence to take on challenging roles,” Hutton told news.com.au.

“The beauty in getting older and having years of experience behind me is that I’ve overcome that and feel a great sense of freedom and satisfaction in everything I do now.”

Nova’s afternoon announcer in Sydney and Melbourne Mel Tracina dubbed impostor syndrome “a classic thought mentality for many, especially women”.

TV presenter Deborah Hutton. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for AFI

Nova’s afternoon announcer in Sydney and Melbourne, Mel Tracina.

“I will sweat, sacrifice, work my toosh off but the second I reach my goal, that little annoying voice in my head makes me believe that it’s a fluke. And maybe it is … Damnit! There’s that voice again!” she said.

“The dreaded, self-imposed ‘impostor syndrome’ — the sense that I might be found out, that I might not really be good enough to do the job,” Jones, 84, agreed.

“Far too many women suffer from the same nonsense. We need to get over it. Indeed, we are good enough, sometimes even better!”

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