How do I get respect when people see me as just an assistant?

You hold an entire leader's world together, and the reward is being either unnoticed or blamed when something slips. People say "just the assistant" as if it were small, when in truth almost nothing would function without you. That sting is real. Being both essential and invisible is a hard place to stand. You cannot force people to see your worth, but you can stop measuring it by their attention. You know what you carry. The leader you support knows, even if they forget to say it. Start by owning your own value quietly and firmly, without waiting for permission. People often treat you the way you treat yourself, so carry yourself like the professional you are. Where you can, make your work visible without apology. Speak up in the meeting. Put your name on the project. Say plainly what you handled when it goes well. You are not "just" anything. You are the reason things hold together, and it is fair to let that be known.