Confidence issues are still one of the biggest barriers women have to overcome to reach the upper echelons of the workplace, says a career coach aiming to tackle the problem.
Jo Hind, co-founder of female career consultancy Birdsoup, says many businesswomen are still battling an 'inner voice' which disparages them in comparison to their male counterparts and can hinder their advancement.
Her young company has helped to set up a mentoring programme in Norfolk, We Can, which aims to coach and encourage young businesswomen to climb higher in their respective careers.
It is being spearheaded by Michelle Raper and Elizabeth Claxton, directors at Norwich accountancy firm Rostrons.
London-based Birdsoup will work on tailored coaching plans and set objectives for We Can mentees, of whom there will be two in the first year, and plans to carry out psychometric testing.
While confidence is not an issue exclusive to women, Ms Hind believes they disproportionately suffer from low self-esteem.
'It comes up for us working with women of all levels of experience,' she said.
'We help people to understand what they do not feel confident about, why that might be, and look at techniques to change that.'
The idea of 'imposter syndrome' – where workers feel they are not as worthy as their colleagues and can somehow be 'found out' and discredited – is thought to be far more common among women than men.
Ms Hind said: 'A good example is when men and women look at a job description – women will only apply for a role if they think they can meet 100% of the criteria, whereas for men it is 50-60%. It's a bit of a generalisation but there is evidence to support it.'
She added that choosing to have children still presents challenges to ambitious businesswomen. 'It can cause a break in their career and there are then fewer women in senior positions across the board, so how do we help women get to those positions and create more role models for those women coming through?'
Birdsoup, which ran a training workshop in Norwich last year, says its research found a gap in the local market for leadership coaching for women, particularly among smaller companies with fewer resources.
Ms Hind said: 'There are some companies that are really supportive of equal opportunities for women and others who are a bit behind the curve.'
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here