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Women’s Career Growth Stunted by 'Likeability Labour'

8/4/2025

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Summary

Story summary

In Nairobi, 24-year-old Faith grapples with the suffocating pressure to fit in at work, dreading the fallout of voicing her dissent. A striking report reveals a troubling trend: women's representation plummets from 50% at entry-level to just 26% in senior positions. This phenomenon, dubbed "likeability labour," stifles women's career growth worldwide.

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Story summary

In Nairobi, 24-year-old Faith grapples with the suffocating pressure to fit in at work, dreading the fallout of voicing her dissent. A striking report reveals a troubling trend: women's representation plummets from 50% at entry-level to just 26% in senior positions. This phenomenon, dubbed "likeability labour," stifles women's career growth worldwide.