Empower Women in Male-Dominated Industries

One of the toughest — and most defining — leadership lessons I've learned is this: you can be the most competent person in the room and still not be taken seriously, simply because you're a woman.

In the fields of political consulting, campaign management, and government affairs, this remains especially true. These industries are traditionally male-dominated — both in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where we run many of our operations, and here in Washington, D.C., where international lobbying is often controlled by men who have held high-ranking positions in the White House or Congress. (Bonus points if you chaired the Appropriations Committee — smile.)

In many of the countries we work in, research shows that women are still not perceived as equals in politics or strategic consulting — regardless of education or credentials. Gender bias is structural. As a female political strategist in post-Soviet regions, I've often faced dismissiveness, condescension, and the assumption that I must be the "assistant," not the architect of the strategy.

Rather than fight this alone, I made it part of our organizational mission to change the landscape:

Within our company, SIC Group, we actively promote women into leadership roles in lobbying, campaign strategy, and international affairs. We also created a dedicated Women's Leadership Initiative in Government Affairs and Political Advisory (IGAPA.net) to build visibility, peer support, and trust networks across borders.

Through our non-profit Institute for Democracy and Development, we sponsor free educational programs for women and young professionals, offering them access to tools and mentors often kept behind closed doors.

But the process isn't easy. Stereotypes persist — deeply. Even now, it takes sustained effort to earn trust in rooms where power was never meant to be shared. But I've learned that leadership is not just about pushing your own success forward — it's about pulling others with you.

That's the lesson that shaped me most. It made me more resilient, more inclusive — and more committed to making sure the next generation of women doesn't have to prove themselves twice just to be heard once.

Kateryna Odarchenko, CEO, Sic group usa