What is the Glass Ceiling

The concept of glass ceiling and its association with women is not new, and has been around for a while now. 'Glass Ceiling' is a term coined by the Wall Street Journal in the year 1986, that refers to barriers in the advancement of women and other minorities in the workplace. This is due to several stereotypes and types of employment discrimination that exist, due to the view that men are more capable of advancing in various careers than women. A metaphorical term, the glass ceiling is symbolic of the fact that there is a limit to which a woman can grow within the organization, and though everything may appear transparent as it is indiscernible by an outsider, it is only experienced by a woman, and exists nonetheless.

The Glass Ceiling and Women in the Workplace

Since time immemorial, there have always been typecast gender roles in the workplace and in society in general. Over this time, the heights of such discrimination on this basis have reduced, though they still continue to exist in the shadows. The glass ceiling is one of the biggest examples of gender discrimination in the workplace, and a lot of theories have come into being to understand why such discrimination still exists.

For one, as mentioned earlier, men have always been perceived as balanced individuals who are capable of taking the right decisions and leading an organization towards success. The general consensus towards working women is that they are more emotional and are less capable of taking practical decisions. Another reason why one would believe that the glass ceiling still exists is that there are certain male-oriented jobs that pay well, and that women would not opt for. For instance, when it comes to fields such as civil engineering, not many women are found here. However, it is a very high paying job. It is believed that women still choose low income jobs such as secretarial or administrative jobs so that they are able to balance time between their family and work. On the other hand, it is also a fact that women who are as educated as men in a particular field are discouraged from taking up jobs in those fields because they are perceived as male-oriented jobs. However, there are women out there, who are willing to break the glass ceiling and move ahead, to prove every 'theory' or 'perception' wrong, to be as successful and more than their male counterparts.

What is the Glass Ceiling Effect?

Due to the glass ceiling, it has been found that women are paid lesser than their male counterparts due to the aforementioned perceptions, even when they perform similar jobs. Men are always considered for promotions over women, and moving up the corporate ladder results then becomes difficult for women. In spite of laws that require organizations to provide equal pay to men and women, such discrimination does exist, and abiding by the law is not something all organizations are doing.

While older studies and research have shown that the effect of the glass ceiling on women is low self-esteem, low motivation levels, and a general tendency to give up after a point, there are some very positive effects that should be made note of. It is said that there is something good in every bad, and this statement could not be truer with reference to the glass ceiling. One of the biggest positive effects of this type of employment discrimination is that women have made it a point to prove it wrong. There are women who are continuously doing so by means of sheer talent and capabilities. A woman who works as hard as a man, is as practical as a man, and is capable of taking decisions as well as a man is definitely considered for a higher position in an organization that knows how to value its employees irrespective of the gender. There are now numerous women in top positions in various companies, and in fact, studies have proven that such organizations with women at the head fare much better than their male dominated counterparts.

It may be true that bias against women in the workplace does still exist, but women are doing all they can to surpass it and prove themselves. It may also be unfortunate that in spite of calling ourselves modern thinkers, women still have to 'prove' their worth, while men are believed to possess it already. They say it is only a matter of time before this glass ceiling vanishes completely, but a big question in this regard is, how much more does a woman need to do to prove that she is as capable as a man to do exactly as he does? Why is there still an issue regarding women's rights, while men are supposed to be born with these? Answers to such questions are still vague, and the only diplomatic way in which an attempt is made to answer these is 'time'.

Women need to be explained what the glass ceiling is and be prepared to face such forms of gender discrimination in the workplace. No matter how many laws are passed and how much ever a woman may want to fight, it is only by proving her worth can she break the glass ceiling and become as successful as her male counterparts.