Challenges, beliefs and pathways to women’s leadership
An article about Fátima Ribeiro, originally published in Valor Magazine to mark International Women’s Day.
Translated from the original Portuguese article.
International Women’s Day is an invitation to reflect and act. Fátima Ribeiro, an executive coach with international experience, believes that transformation begins with awareness and structured support for women who aspire to leadership positions.
Fátima Ribeiro built her career in banking, university teaching and professional coaching. From early on, she felt “the need to support people in acquiring skills, deepening their knowledge and expanding their capabilities”. This combination helped her understand power dynamics, decision-making processes and the complexity of organisations. “Working across different regions, from Latin America to North America and Europe, gave me a rich comparative perspective on leadership, diversity and gender equality”, she explains.
For Fátima, three dimensions sustain inequalities: individual behaviours, leadership practices and policies, and organisational culture. “The way each person perceives their context, positions themselves, communicates and builds relationships within the organisation has a significant impact on their career progression”.
Yet many cultural beliefs operate unconsciously. In some cultures, “the idea that ‘our work speaks for itself’ is deeply rooted. This belief can lead women, in particular, to avoid promoting their achievements or building strategic relationships that increase their visibility”. In this context, executive coaching becomes a crucial tool for challenging limiting beliefs.
“The role of coaching is to promote individual and systemic awareness and expand possibilities. We often carry thoughts and assumptions of which we are not even fully aware”, she explains. This process helps identify patterns of reactivity, challenge perceptions of reality and explore new ways of acting, showing how small shifts in perspective can have a significant impact on personal agency and emotional intelligence.
To promote equitable opportunities, she advocates intervention at both individual and systemic levels. “It is essential to support women professionals through coaching, mentoring and skills development that help them in environments that are still predominantly male. Creating real opportunities means examining whether work structures, assessment criteria and informal dynamics support diversity”. Details such as meeting schedules, implicit expectations and informal practices can limit women’s participation if they are not reviewed.
“It is not just about opening doors, but about ensuring that the conditions allow women to actually walk through them”, she argues.
For women experiencing impostor syndrome or anxiety about greater responsibilities, she recommends investing in self-awareness, drawing on their strengths and, above all, building support networks. “Leadership is not an isolated endeavour; it is a community. Having mentors, emotional support and people who challenge us positively makes a difference”.
Her message is clear: “Recognise your skills and achievements, connect with your personal power, be an agent of change, develop relationships, approach others with curiosity and dream”, she concludes.
“Transformation is a marathon made up of consistent steps. Every step taken today strengthens opportunities and opens the way to a better future”.
