Product management is an incredibly important and impactful role. It’s strategic, influential and uncertain. PMs sit at the center of user experience, design, technology and marketing - making decisions that shape the company’s outcomes and the experience of millions of users. Yet despite how pivotal the role has become, women remain underrepresented in product at every level. Surveys find women hold roughly 36 % of product management roles overall and even less at senior leadership levels. After 8 years in the field, this does not surprise me one bit and here is why:

It’s A Strategic Role Which Can Be Intimidating At The Start

Product work demands comfort with ambiguity and uncertainty, whilst taking the visible responsibility of decision-making. Early in their careers, many women struggle with their confidence and imposter syndrome, feeling they need to be “perfect” before stepping up or making a decision. This happens even when equally capable male colleagues just go for it.

This hesitancy isn’t weakness, it’s a symptom of being taught to downplay ambition until fully “ready.” In roles with high impact and visibility, that internal bar is exactly what holds so many talented women back from raising their hand.

Working In Male-Heavy Teams Can Be A Culture Shock

In many tech companies, the teams surrounding PMs like the engineers, QAs and designers are more likely to be men than women. And this imbalance can start to show culturally: informal chats on male dominated topics, after-work beers at the pub to exchange some “banter”, or even casual “boys’ club” behaviors can create environments where women feel isolated or that they don’t belong. Recent workplace reporting shows these boys’ club cultures still influence workplaces and create environments where women’s voices aren’t valued and heard, even when they are right in what they say. It often even takes a man repeating the same thing to be accepted by the group.

“You can influence what is said when you’re in the room… but it’s equally important what’s said when you’re not.”

Ariane Marie, Founder @ Lea Gogo

The Way To Get Into Product Is Biased From The Start

Product is a really interesting career path, but one most people “accidentally fall into". Let me get it straight, there is almost never anything accidental about it, but it’s a way to highlight that no one leaves university with a product degree. It’s a role where the checklist of requirements needs to be met by experience and transferable skills, rather than certificates. And this is where from the get go, women will already devalue themselves by not applying to a role if they don’t tick 100% of the boxes, where a male colleague may apply with only 70% of the requirements met. This means that women don’t get into this field at entry level, creating a gap from the start.

But let’s look at why this makes women so good at Product!

The Superpower Women Bring to Product

Ironically, the very traits society often labels “soft” are exactly what make women incredible product leaders. Skills like empathy, listening, organisation, clarity in communication and holistic thinking are crucial in navigating stakeholders, understanding users, and building products that resonate. These aren’t “nice-to-haves”, they’re strategic advantages and make for impactful product leaders.

Diversity Builds Better Products

As research into gender diversity has shown, diverse teams make better decisions more often, because they bring multiple perspectives and challenge groupthink. Having women in product contributes to richer insights and products that better reflect the real world. Women also represent 50% of the population - in most companies 50% of customer bases.

So what can women do?

Finding Advocates and Sponsors Matters

One of the most impactful patterns I have seen in my career is sponsorship. What do I mean by that? As a woman, you can influence what is said when you’re in the room by using your voice. But it’s equally as important to ensure that good things are said when you’re not in the room. Finding sponsors - people who will vouch for you when you are not there - is a really effective way to make sure you don’t miss that next promotion, the next big project or your ideas are correctly attributed to you.

A sponsor creates visibility, opens doors and amplifies your voices when you’re not there. This can be a manager, a senior woman in leadership, a valued colleague or anyone else that sees you for your true value. Men and women can both do an amazing job at that!

Confidence Is a Muscle — Not a Trait You’re Born With

Confidence in leadership isn’t about never feeling unsure, it’s about having the data, support and perspective to back yourself when you need to speak up. It’s about being able to make a decision, knowing it’s the best decision you could have taken at the time, no matter the consequence. It’s about your self worth being attached more to the act of deciding well, than to the outcome of your decision.

Recommendations for the Next Generation of Women in Product

If I could offer advice to young women starting their product careers:

1. Own your seat at the table.
Your role isn’t support; it’s strategic leadership. Say it to yourself often.

2. Seek a sponsor, not just a mentor.
Find leaders who will speak for you when you’re not in the room.

3. Build fluency in both business and technology.
The more languages of your organization you speak, the broader your influence.

4. Celebrate your strengths, especially empathy and clarity, as strategic assets.
These are differentiators in product work, not liabilities.

5. Push for visible assignments early.
Ask for opportunities to own releases, lead planning, and drive cross-functional alignment.

6. Join communities where women thrive in product.
Groups like Women In Product offer support, learning and stage-setting platforms.

Product management is a career with impact, visibility and strategic influence. It’s exactly the terrain where voices have historically mattered most. Women belong here not despite gender gaps, but because the world needs diverse perspectives if we want products that truly serve everyone.