Talking about success matters. It affects confidence, visibility and career progression. Yet for many women, self-promotion still feels uncomfortable, risky, or constrained by social expectations.
This research, commissioned by Galaxy chocolate as part of ‘The Unhumble Project’, explores how women in the UK think, feel and act when it comes to celebrating their achievements, and how social and environmental factors shape these attitudes and behaviours. It also examines what kinds of support, environments and experiences help women – especially young women – to celebrate and communicate their wins, and how these conditions can be strengthened so that women feel confident to celebrate their successes without embarrassment or fear.
Read the executive summary here
We found that:
- Most women recognise that self-promotion matters, but many lack confidence in celebrating their successes, particularly in the workplace. 63% of young women who took our survey agreed that self-promotion is essential for career progression.
- Women in the youngest age group (18-24) are less likely to feel comfortable speaking up about their achievements in professional settings , and women on lower incomes are particularly . 54% of women earning less than £20k say they lack confidence talking about their achievements at work, compared to fewer than three in ten (28%) of women in the highest income bracket.
- Self-promotion is emotionally loaded for many women, and worries about how they will be perceived often stop them from sharing. More than a third (36%) of women say they avoid sharing their wins because they don’t want to look like they’re showing off.
- But, the positive effects of hearing other women self-celebrate are clear. Over half (54%) of young women said that hearing other women speaking out about their achievements inspired them.
So what can be done about it?
There are a few key influences in a women’s life that could help them to self-promote in work, and in life:
- Women inspire women – most agree that things would be better if more women celebrated their successes.
- Family and friends play a major role in shaping how women feel about celebrating success.
- Workplaces are key, but often fall short – line managers in particular can do more to encourage and advocate for the women they work with to self-celebrate.
- Coaching and training – are key ways to unlock a woman’s confidence to reflect and recognise their achievements and then shout about them.