The conversation around women in the workplace often celebrates resilience, ambition, and self-improvement. But what happens when these narratives obscure the very real barriers that many women – especially those navigating mental health challenges or neurodiversity – face in professional spaces? As International Women’s Day encourages us to reflect on progress and inclusion, it’s crucial to examine how media representations shape our understanding of success, struggle, and the structural changes still needed.
Mainstream media often presents the modern working woman as effortlessly balancing career success, mental well-being, personal fulfilment, a social life, a spotless home, and an exhausting amount of emotional labour – all while never looking tired. Concealers are not going to buy themselves! From TikTok’s “girlboss” culture to YouTube influencers “day in the life” vlogs that depict hyper-organised routines, self-care rituals, and productivity hacks, reinforcing the idea that success comes from personal discipline rather than structural support. This reflects a postfeminist ideal that suggests feminism has already achieved its goals, leaving any remaining struggles as personal, not structural.
For neurodiverse women and those managing mental health conditions, this narrative can be particularly damaging. The emphasis on self-optimisation, often through bullet journaling, mindfulness apps, or morning routines, suggests that workplace challenges stem from a lack of personal discipline rather than systemic inaccessibility. Instead of advocating for flexible working conditions or sensory-friendly environments, media glorifies individual coping strategies, reinforcing the idea that success is about adapting rather than demanding change.
This focus on personal responsibility creates a double burden: women must navigate ableist and sexist work environments while also carrying the weight of self-blame when they struggle. The expectation to “push through” anxiety, burnout, or sensory overload aligns with postfeminist media’s broader reluctance to acknowledge structural inequality. If success is framed as a mindset rather than a matter of access, then failure is seen as a personal shortcoming rather than a reflection of an exclusionary system.
To challenge these unrealistic expectations, we need to shift the narrative away from individual responsibility and towards systemic change. We need more honest representations of working women – ones that acknowledge the real barriers they face, instead of glorifying resilience as the solution. Rather than celebrating those who “overcome” neurodiversity or mental health struggles through sheer willpower, we should advocate for workplace cultures that accommodate difference rather than expecting conformity. International Women’s Day is not just a celebration of women’s achievements but a call to dismantle the systems that make success so inaccessible in the first place.
So, on this International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate the women advocating for change and the workplaces that are beginning to embrace it. Happy International Women’s Day to us all!
Paulina is a Employment Specialist for the Tower Hamlets IPS service with a background in psychology and a particular interest in postfeminist media and its impact on mental health, work and identity
