Hitting The Glass Ceiling

Formally known as the glass ceiling, women are said to hit an invisible barrier when they approach top level management, preventing them from attaining senior positions.

The glass ceiling can be a controversial topic. Some people agree that barriers especially in certain male dominated professions are still ever apparent, whilst others think that it doesn’t really exist, and others think it is just an excuse made by women who haven’t made it as far in their career as they intended. Instead of pursuing long drawn out, restricted carers women are now opting to be their own boss and open up their own companies.

And it’s not just in business that women face prejudice. It has been recently reported in the media of a dispute arising about women becoming bishops. Clergy members have written to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to say they will leave the Church of England if women bishops are ordained.

Issues of discrimination have also arose in sporting professions, cases of football managers like Luton Town’s manager Mike Newell have got into trouble after saying women are incapable of being good linesmen and referees.

Newell said:"It's bad enough with the incapable referees and linesmen we have, but if you start bringing in women, you have big problems."

Think Point!

• What do you think about the glass ceiling?
• In your opinion, should women be allowed to become Bishops?
• Should female referees be allowed?

One solution in business is positive discrimination. In Norway it is compulsory for Norwegian companies to appoint a substantial number of women to senior levels.

Another way to change overall perceptions is acceptance: we should be encouraged to accept genders as we do different races, sexuality, disability, and age.

Think Point!

• Do you think positive discrimination is a good or bad idea?
• How else do you think females can overcome the glass ceiling?