The Glass Ceiling
What it is, why it's important and why it’s problematic
By Abby Cattapan, Lifestyle Editorial Assistant
Imagine you are climbing a ladder. You determinedly glance upwards and view the top clearly. Right as you near the end of the ladder, your head hits a hard surface. Confused, you look up and see clear skies. There is seemingly nothing stopping you, yet you find it impossible to advance. Frustratingly enough, others around you appear to be climbing with ease. This phenomenon is known as the glass ceiling. It’s not a physical barrier, rather an underlying implicit bias that prevents women from advancing further in their careers (Kagan, 2021).
The term glass ceiling was originally coined by Marylin Loden in 1978 at a panel discussion for women’s aspirations. She sat appalled as she listened to panelists describe women’s problems with self-deprecating behavior and the poor self-image they displayed. Loden concluded that the difficulty women faced in climbing career ladders was not the fault of personal flaws, but a cultural assumption that women were incapable of holding leadership positions. Loden declared this barrier an “invisible glass ceiling” (BBC, 2017).
Although the term was popularized several decades ago, it is still very relevant today. Although there are many laws in place that prohibit discrimination based on gender and race, women continue to hold few executive positions. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women accounted for 55.9% of the labor force in 2020, but only made up 29.9% of chief executive positions. Furthermore, only 22% of executive roles were filled by minorities. (Kagan, 2021). This is a result of the glass ceiling—underlying implicit biases stereotype women as unprofessional or unfit for the role of an executive. Although defined corporate policies aren’t halting women from advancing in their careers, social norms and unconscious biases do (Kagan, 2021).
The concept of the glass ceiling is a popular buzzword in business and Human Resource rooms throughout the world. It is also problematic. A key flaw with the phrase is that it assumes women are unvaried. Yes, all women face barriers when it comes to their gender, yet the glass ceiling neglects intersectionality. It fails to account for race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities and so forth. Not all women face the same struggles. The barriers that a straight white woman faces in her career are hurdles compared to the mountains that a black woman must advance (Atcheson, 2021). For some, the glass feels more like a concrete ceiling. Racist systems that are offsprings of the slavery and the Jim Crow Era place black women yards behind their white counterparts (Badger, 2015). Grouping all women under the glass ceiling fails to acknowledge the privilege that some women hold over others and ignores the layering struggles that some face.
When it comes to “shattering the glass ceiling,” many carry the misconception that promoting women into higher positions is the easy fix. However, simply throwing women into positions of authority in male-dominated industries won’t solve the problem. The solution is about changing the culture in which women are perceived in the workplace. Implementing regular bias and stereotype training is one way to combat this unconscious bias (Reiners, 2021). Conducting blind screening applications for job interviews ensures that job applicants are picked on merit.
On the individual level, it's crucial to interact more with those different from you, reaching out of your bubble and being inclusive to support others (Long, 2015). Taking it a step further, review your internal conversation. This may expose some implicit biases you have. Becoming aware of these thoughts is the first step towards combating them.
It is important to understand that not all setbacks women face in the workplace are written into corporate policies. There are often unspoken standards and unconscious prejudices that hold back women in their careers. Although interpreting the metaphor of the glass ceiling is important, it is also crucial to recognize that women are not all treated equally. Healing society from unconscious bias and stereotypes is the most effective way to place women in the leadership roles they deserve and shatter the ceiling once and for all.
Sources:
Atcheson, S. (2021, May 13). Having a Glass Ceiling to Break Through is Privilege. Here’s Why. Forbes.
Kagan, J. (2021, April 19). Glass Ceiling, Investopedia.
Unknown. (2017, Dec 13). 100 Women: ‘Why I Invented the Glass Ceiling Phrase”. BBC.
Reiners, B. (2021, Oct 14). Ways to Break Through the Glass Ceiling. BuiltIn.
Long, K. (2015, Dec 14). How to Recognize and Overcome Your Unconscious Bias. The Guardian.
Badger, E. (2015, April 29). The Long Painful and Repetitive History of How Baltimore Became Baltimore. The Washington Post.