Women and the Glass Ceiling

The term 'glass ceiling' refers to gender discrimination that limits a woman as inferior and is harassed by the society. This has a subtle effect that blocks her peace of mind. It is the accepted domination practiced by stereotypical society that makes a woman weaker not only physically but mentally as well.

Sexism and gender discrimination are concepts that are later classified into glass ceiling. It is a barrier in the progress of gender minority groups especially working women. Recent reviews in the United States state that the top Fortune 1000 industrial companies have 95 percent of the senior managers as men; also 97 percent of them are white!

Feminism is the new idea of glass ceiling. We use the hierarchical distribution of work based on conventional differences between two sexes. In 1980’s female authors rewrote the male dominated literature and demanded equal rights for women. Recently, senator Hillary Clinton applied the theme glass-ceiling plea for her participation in presidential election in United States.

Origin and Use of the Concept ‘Glass Ceiling’:

The term glass ceiling was used basically in corporate field as the Wall Street Journal promoted this issue in March 1986. It described conflict that arose when qualified women were denied higher positions in corporate ladder and did not get equally paid for similar type of work.

Many women writers raised their voice to point out how they have been treated in America and that they keep bumping their heads on the glass ceiling without any result. A quote by women’s activist and writer, Nora Frenkiel in 1984, sums up the situation:

"Women have reached a certain point. I call it the glass ceiling. They're in the top of middle management and they're stopping and getting stuck. There isn't enough room for all those women at the top. Some are going into business for themselves. Others are going out and raising families."

Glass ceiling is found in workplaces, not only in the discrimination of pay scales, but is also marked by sexual harassment, exploitation at work and also as a feeling of insecurity in women due to conduct of the opposite sex. Women struggle to incarnate their own personality in spite of restriction of gender discrimination.

United States’ Civil Rights Act of 1964 grants equal treatment for all human at employment or workplace. This law holds the opportunities without any deterrent(s) according to sex, race, color, and religion to each individual.

An example of how and what heights women can achieve if given the chance is -
Quentin Bryces became the current Governor-General of Australia, for the first time in the world history, on 5 September, 2008. One can look up to her for the impartial judgments and long experience of teaching (1968-1983) in the Faculty of Law at the University of Queensland.

Issues on Glass Ceiling:

One should not take glass ceiling as the subject of gender earning penalties, since it totally depends on the company and workplace a woman is into.

We require proper management to deal with problems in profession and for women’s progress in general. Creating a cooperative environment without bullying a junior by overload of daily work would be one way out.

Human resources should promote people who meet the goal of their program eliminate any cultural and gender prejudices. Try to encourage women for their talent and leadership.

A workplace should consider the ability of an individual and not the issues of ‘glass ceiling’ based on sex, religion, culture and race of minority class.

In today’s world of equality, wo(man) is not "Frailty, thy name is woman!" but she is the one who represents the quote "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world!"

For more information on how glass ceiling takes place at workplace, please refer to gender discrimination