As the world marks International Women’s Day, the Executive Director and Founder of HR Network Africa, Cynthia Mawulawoe Kodowu, has described societal perceptions about women’s success in leadership as a “cultural deficiency” rooted in long-standing gender stereotypes.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews The Pulse on Monday, Madam Kodowu addressed the persistent perception that women often have to “sleep their way to the top” to succeed in leadership positions.

According to her, such assumptions stem from cultural conditioning that places men at the centre of leadership while relegating women to supportive roles.

“It’s a cultural deficiency. In our culture, we are brought up to think that some roles are reserved for men,” she said.

She explained that many people instinctively expect men to occupy top positions in organizations, which leads to skepticism when a woman holds such roles.

“If you walk into a company looking for the CEO, your first inclination is that the man in the sharp suit should be the CEO. If it turns out to be a woman, people become dismissive,” she said.

Madam Kodowu noted that these attitudes often begin at home, where gender roles are assigned early in childhood.

She said in many Ghanaian and African households, girls are frequently tasked with domestic chores. At the same time, boys are given fewer responsibilities, a pattern she described as creating “time poverty” for the girl child and shaping expectations that follow women into the workplace.

According to her, the same stereotypes appear in professional environments, where women are often subtly expected to perform service roles even when they occupy leadership positions.

“At meetings, people look around the table to see who will grab the water, and many assume the woman should do it. Even at professional events or buffets, they expect the woman to dish out food,” she said.

Madam Kodowu further explained that women who actively network or lobby for opportunities—strategies widely accepted among men—are often judged harshly.

“When a man lobbies another man in the corporate space, nobody sees a problem. But when a woman uses the same strategic approach, labels start to fly,” she said.

She added that women seeking mentorship or professional networks are sometimes wrongly accused of having inappropriate relationships with male colleagues. “In our part of the world, unfortunately, every association with a man is often seen as a sexual association,” she said.

“We’re not asking anybody to give us a free ticket to the table. We want to build our own table and earn our keep,” she added.

She called for a shift in societal attitudes and upbringing practices to ensure girls and women are empowered to pursue leadership roles without facing damaging stereotypes.