In a candid account, 24-year-old Faith illustrates the pressures many young women face within Kenyan workplaces to conform to expectations of likability. Despite their representation in entry-level roles, women encounter significant barriers in advancing to senior positions, a phenomenon detailed in a recent report by McKinsey. The socio-cultural implications of this "likeability labour" reveal systemic issues that hinder women from asserting themselves in professional settings.
The Pressure to Conform: Kenyan Women's Struggles in the Workplace
The Pressure to Conform: Kenyan Women's Struggles in the Workplace
Young women in Kenya face an unspoken expectation to be agreeable and likable at work, hindering their professional growth.
During a typical work meeting in Nairobi, 24-year-old Faith experienced an all-too-familiar moment of self-doubt as she was pressured to conform to expectations of agreeableness. Despite feeling her senior colleague presented an impractical suggestion, she remained silent, fearing backlash for being perceived as difficult. "I felt an unspoken pressure to smile, to be agreeable," she shared, contemplating the challenges faced by women navigating corporate environments.
Faith is among many women who grapple with what the Women in the Workplace 2025 report identifies as "the broken rung," a term denoting the substantial drop-off in women's representation from entry-level roles to management positions. Published by McKinsey, this study, which includes Kenya alongside India and Nigeria, highlights that while women represent nearly half of entry-level workers in various sectors, their presence diminishes significantly at senior levels—from 50% down to just 26% in Kenya.
The cultural expectation of likability for women, often termed "likeability labour," has emerged as an obstacle to professional advancement. This term, discussed by sociologist Amy Kean, encapsulates the pressure many women feel to please others, at times to the detriment of their own careers. In her UK-based research, Kean found that 56% of women reported feeling the need to be likeable in their workplaces, a stark contrast to the 36% of men sharing this sentiment.
The ramifications of such societal expectations extend beyond mere professional interactions; they dictate how women communicate and present themselves in a corporate setting. Women often find themselves editing their language to avoid being termed abrasive or overly assertive. Many even report receiving feedback concerning their personalities and likability, a phenomenon disproportionately affecting women according to a 2024 study by Textio.
Moreover, traditional gender roles—a sort of societal conditioning towards caregiving—further complicate the workplace dynamics for women. Dr. Gladys Nyachieo from Kenya's Multimedia University emphasizes that women are socialized to prioritize the needs of others, setting the stage for what is often referred to in Kiswahili as "office mathe," or "office mother." This role often entails additional, unpaid responsibilities that detract from women’s primary job functions.
To dismantle the cycle of likeability labour, experts like Dr. Nyachieo advocate for systemic changes, including flexible working hours and mentorship programs tailored for women. Mentorship, in particular, has proven transformative for individuals like Faith, who shares, "I’m learning not to feel pressured to be smiley and nice all the time."
The discussion surrounding likeability labour speaks to a broader trend influencing women’s professional lives worldwide. As the conversation continues, addressing these ingrained issues is crucial for creating a more equitable workplace for the next generation of women.
