Imposter Syndrome: When Women Feel Like Frauds in a World Built by… Well, Frauds

By Dope Soul Village -  where badass feminist clothing meets brutally honest conversations

Let’s talk about imposter syndrome - that charming little voice in a woman’s head whispering,
“You’re not good enough,”
“You didn’t earn this,”
and the classic,
“Someone’s going to find out you’re actually a potato in a trench coat.”

If you’ve ever found yourself spiralling into self-doubt before a meeting, a job interview, a Zoom call, or even just sending a mildly confident email… congratulations, sis. You’re not broken. You’re a woman in a society that was built on the idea that confidence is for men and silence is for us.

What is imposter syndrome anyway?

Imposter syndrome is basically the psychological version of being photobombed - except instead of a stranger ruining your picture, it’s centuries of sexism crashing into your self-esteem.

Women experience it at staggeringly higher rates, and not because we’re less capable. No. It’s because we’ve spent generations:

• Being told not to be bossy

• Being labelled dramatic for having opinions

• Being told to smile (the universal command of men who can’t handle women existing)

• Being passed over for promotions because “the guy seems like more of a leader”

• Watching men fail with Olympic-level enthusiasm and still get praised for “giving it a go”

And after all that? We wonder why we feel like frauds?
Of course we do. Misogyny has been breadcrumbing us into self-doubt since birth.

The Patriarchy: The Original Confidence Thief

The patriarchy is basically the HR department of self-doubt:
always present, rarely helpful, and mysteriously invested in keeping you uncomfortable.

From school uniforms policing girls’ bodies, to the gender pay gap, to entire industries designed to convince us we’re not enough — women are constantly absorbing messages that our worth must be proven, justified, or apologised for.

Men? They’re applauded for the bare minimum.

A man shows up to work late, spills coffee on himself, forgets the agenda, and still starts his sentence with:
“I have a great idea.”

A woman does the job of three people, holds the entire team together, submits flawless work, and still starts with:
“Sorry if this sounds stupid but…”

That’s not insecurity. That’s conditioning.

Misogyny’s Favourite Hobby: Making Women Doubt Themselves

Misogyny doesn’t always kick down the door wearing a cape and screaming, “WOMEN ARE INFERIOR.”
Sometimes it’s subtle:

• “Are you sure you’re qualified?”

• “You don’t want to be too ambitious.”

• “You’re intimidating.”

• “You take things too personally.”

• “It’s just banter.”

• “Calm down.” (Spoiler: absolutely never calms anyone down.)

Every micro-moment chips away at confidence, leaving women feeling like they have to over-perform just to be accepted.

And when you constantly have to over-perform, it’s easy to feel like your achievements don’t count - because you’ve been conditioned to believe they’re the bare minimum.

Imposter Syndrome Isn’t a Personal Problem - It’s a Social Construct

Women often internalise self-doubt as a flaw.
But the truth?
Imposter syndrome isn’t born inside us — it’s taught to us.

It’s the result of:

• A patriarchal system that elevates men by default

• Misogynistic narratives that frame women as emotional or irrational

• Workplaces designed around male behaviour

• A society that tells women to be perfect while celebrating men for “having potential”

Imposter syndrome is not a diagnosis.
It’s a symptom of living in a world that wasn’t built with women in mind.

So, What Do We Do?

Well, first we stop blaming ourselves.
You are not the imposter — the system is.

And then, we build our own spaces.
Communities where women uplift other women, where confidence is encouraged, and where taking up space is not a radical act but a normal one.

(Side note: It helps if you’re wearing badass feminist clothing while doing this. Science probably supports that. Don’t look it up.)

At Dope Soul Village, we’re all about unlearning the crap we’ve been fed for generations.
We celebrate women stepping into their power, even when their knees are shaking and their inner saboteur is screaming like a banshee.

A Final Note to the Women Reading This

You’re not lucky.
You’re not a fluke.
You’re not a fraud.
You didn’t just “fall into” your achievements.

You earned them - through skill, resilience, survival, and brilliance.

If anything, the real imposter is the system that taught you to shrink in the first place.

And darling?
We’re done shrinking.

xx Sam