The One About Transformation and Agency

I know I’ve been promising a lot of content about work-related topics: salary conversations, feedback to managers, career growth, stagnation, all of it. And trust me, we’ll get there. Many women are asking for that guidance.

But before diving into the tactical side of work, there is a concept that keeps appearing in almost every episode, either directly or indirectly: women’s agency. Seyda brought a key idea: take action. Juliana talked about our inner compass, our values, and the importance of alignment. Fer Ortega introduced agency as an antidote to guilt.

But…

• What is agency, as a feminist concept?
• How is agency different from decisiveness, empowerment, ownership and all the other related ideas?
• How do we develop and exercise agency, not only at work but in our lives?
• And is agency related to transformation?

So yes, let’s start with a quick theory check. Because for me, clarity is power. The clearer the concept, the better we can actually use it.

Let the express lesson begin.

What is Agency? Agency is defined as the capacity to make intentional choices, take actions that align with those choices, and believe that those actions can influence outcomes.

The tricky part is that women’s agency is shaped, and often constrained, by structural forces: glass ceilings, gender expectations, emotional labor and the infamous double bind.

Side note: As a feminist concept, “women’s agency” is only about 50 years old. Wild, right? I will walk you through the timeline in a moment.

Now, how is agency different from..

• Empowerment = resources or power given to you by the system [external]
• Agency = using your voice, choices, and influence — regardless of what the system gives you [internal]
• Ownership = responsibility for a task or outcome
• Agency = authorship of the direction of your life

Which means that you can have ownership and zero agency [and maybe this is where the guilt at work starts].

• Decisiveness = the ability to choose quickly [speed]
• Agency = the ability to choose authentically, aligned with your inner compass (alignment + action)
• Confidence = belief in your abilities (internal evaluation)
• Agency = belief you can shape your environment (internal + behavioral)

Now that we know what it is and what it is not, let’s timeline ourselves!

Agency is not something “new”.

• About 2,300 years ago, Aristotle and the Stoics talked about the human capacity to choose and act intentionally.
• Between 1600 and 1800, Descartes and Kant connected agency with freedom, rationality and self-determination.
• In the 19th and early 20th century, the term “agency” became a core sociological concept that explained how humans act within and against social structures.
• Around 70 years ago, researchers such as Bandura and Maslow grounded agency in psychology through studies on intentional action, personal growth, autonomy and identity formation.

And then, because women tend to be invited last to the rights party, the study of female agency only began in the 1970s. Thanks to thinkers such as Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler, Saba Mahmood, Amartya Sen, and Martha Nussbaum, women’s agency becomes a field of its own.

But there’s a big issue: capacities exist as potentials, but they only become functional through exercise, repetition, and context. So yes, we must exercise our agency. According to studies (evidence-based), 4 factors enable women’s agency:

a) Identity Development & Self-Awareness

Women increase agency when they:

• understand their values
• reflect on identity narratives
• redefine success outside external expectations

b) Psychological Safety & Voice

• Women express more agency in environments where speaking up is not punished
• Team climate matters as much as individual traits

c) Boundaries & Self-Trust

Agency grows when women:

• practice saying no
• reclaim time
• trust internal signals over external noise

**d) Community (**amplifier of self-authoring)

Women’s agency increases when:

• they see others modeling agency
• they have collective spaces for reflection
• they can test ideas without judgment

Women often already have agency as a capacity, but:

• social norms prevent practice
• guilt undermines action
• workplaces punish boundary-setting
• relational expectations limit expression
• internalized narratives block self-trust

The problem is not a lack of capacity. The problem is a lack of practice.

And yes, this landscape might feel heavy, but there’s no way back! I know, both in my own life and in the lives of many women, that reclaiming agency is possible, transformative, and deeply worth it. Which brings us to today’s guest: Nina Garza.