A Nigerian lawyer and Programme Lead at UNESCO Youth of Dialogue (UNESCO-YOD), Inikpi Amodu, has sparked a wider conversation on workplace sexism after recounting an incident where a male colleague undermined her professional competence.
In a LinkedIn post that has since drawn strong engagement, Amodu explained that during a strategic project meeting, she successfully presented key insights and recommendations that were accepted by a senior director. Rather than acknowledging her expertise, a male colleague later remarked, “It is because you speak with him seductively.”
Amodu described the comment as a subtle but deeply hurtful form of professional invalidation — one that reduces women’s achievements to perceived charm or attractiveness rather than skill and diligence.
“To be seen for everything but your competence,” she wrote. “To be stripped of value in one sentence… to be told your influence comes not from skill but from seduction.”
The lawyer pointed out that while organizations often promote professional equality, biases still thrive through individual attitudes and unchecked stereotypes. According to her, real change will come not only from policies, but from challenging the mindset that women progress through manipulation rather than merit.
Three Key Lessons for Women Navigating Bias
Amodu used the experience to highlight strategies many professional women deploy when confronted with subtle prejudice:
- Silence, sometimes — because not every comment deserves a response or emotional investment.
- Observation and caution — such comments reveal character and help identify who to tread carefully around.
- Firm response when necessary — as some remarks, if left unchallenged, can spread into harmful narratives.
She added a powerful reminder to those who dismiss female competence:
“Drop your ego and ask me how. I will gladly teach you. Competence is not seduction; it is skill. And skill can be learned.”
Broader Context
Gender-based stereotypes remain prevalent in many work environments, particularly in male-dominated fields where women must repeatedly prove their expertise. Studies globally have shown that women are more likely to have their competence questioned, be interrupted, or have their achievements credited to external factors rather than skill.
Amodu’s post resonates with a shared professional experience among women — not overt harassment, but subtle dismissal wrapped as casual conversation. Experts say this form of bias, known as benevolent sexism, can be particularly damaging because it often goes unaddressed, gradually eroding confidence and altering workplace dynamics.
Growing Conversation
Her message has since sparked conversation about the everyday challenges women face in advancing careers, emphasizing the need for men to become allies by recognizing and correcting such behavior among colleagues.
The viral post serves as a reminder that true professional respect is rooted in recognizing merit, not assigning gendered motivations.
