The Liminal view

Jamie Bantilan explores the gap between presence and influence, questioning whether progress for women at work has translated into real decision-making power where it matters most.

When being in the room isn’t the same as having a voice

So, women at work.

We’ve seen real progress over the past few years. There are more women in more rooms, across more industries than ever before. In sectors like finance, where it’s historically been male-dominated, that focus has been even stronger, more research, more initiatives, more attention on getting women through the door.

But here’s the thing:

Has influence actually shifted, or have we just got better at measuring presence?

Because those two things aren’t the same.

For a long time, the focus was on access getting a seat at the table. And in many ways, that’s happened. But what’s become clearer is that being in the room doesn’t always mean having a real say in what happens next.

And that gap tends to show up later on.

Not at the start of a career, but further in when decisions carry more weight, and influence matters more. That’s often where things become less predictable.

Partly because the barriers at that stage aren’t obvious. It’s not policy, or anything written down. It’s the quieter stuff.

Who gets trusted with bigger decisions.
Who’s brought into conversations early.
Who feels like a natural fit.

And more often than not, that comes down to familiarity. Patterns that repeat themselves over time.

Which leaves us in an interesting place.

On the surface, things look like they’re moving forward. But underneath, the way influence actually works hasn’t shifted at the same pace.

So the conversation is changing.

It’s less about getting into the room now and more about what happens once you’re there, who shapes decisions, who’s listened to, and who gets backed when it counts.

Because progress isn’t just about being present.