Glass Ceiling in Workplace: Concept, History and Effect

The meaning of the term “Glass Ceiling” can be understood as a thin invisible barrier that is present in society that restricts women to reach a certain managerial or higher position. There is no reason to hold any person to reach the top level of the organization only because of gender. Various types of discrimination are present in society, and this is one of them. Society is moving towards achieving impossible goals, and in the other corner, the same people in society are restricting women from reaching the top positions. The glass ceiling prevents many women and minorities from being considered for top jobs, even though they play a crucial role in today’s industry and continue to tear down barriers. To define the “glass ceiling” we can say that it is a barrier that restricts women and other marginalized classes of people to reach the top positions in an organization.

History

Marilyn Loden coined the term “Glass ceiling” for the first time in 1978 in a women’s exposition. These barriers and restrictions are present in society for a long period, but no one has bothered to look into them. People, over time, have made these things customs, and they follow them without any question. Marilyn was the first to speak against it and raise her voice to get equal rights and opportunities in every field. In our society, women are always treated with less respect and dignity, and the other gender has always thought about them as if they are insufficient to perform any task. However, they always proved them wrong by establishing themselves in all the fields. 
After Marilyn, the wall street journal also discussed this issue, and from there, the people in the society recognized this thing. Women are more likely to occupy management positions, have higher levels of education, and participate more in the workforce. Notwithstanding these advancements, women are still underrepresented in senior corporate roles compared to males. Particularly in more developed nations, women have filled leadership posts at a higher pace than males since 1991, while the data indicates that women still have a long way to go in contrast to the number of men in similar positions. At the top echelons of industry, in executive roles, and in education, we are still far from gender parity. In addition, it is less probable to see women in senior positions in larger companies.

Effects and Examples of Glass Ceiling

There are various effects of the glass ceiling on society, and all these effects negatively affect society. The main difference can be seen in the salaries of two people of different genders who are doing the same kind of work. It is seen that major organizations have a difference in the salary of their employees based on their gender. They don’t have any written policy for the same, but it is embedded in their culture, and due to that, the women employees cannot take any legal action against them for this type of discrimination. Women employees also face problems while getting promoted in an organization because of the glass ceiling factor. 
There are numerous examples where a women employee has done everything right, and she deserves a promotion, but instead of getting promoted; they don’t get an appreciation for the work they have completed. They also have to face various aggression from their superiors and also have to go through various types of issues only because of their gender. Women who try to reach a higher position in an organization through their performance also have to face problems like other members not supporting their work, and because of that, they have to face isolation in the workplace that hampers their productivity. Several times their superiors make them feel less competent because they don’t want any women to reach that managerial position.

How to break the Glass Ceiling and promote gender equality in the workplace?

Breaking the glass ceiling and promoting gender equality in the workplace is essential for every organization. 

• Promote Gender Equality Culture: The management of the organization has to ensure that they promote a culture in which gender inequality has no space. They can start a conversation with their employees and the other key personnel of their company and make them understand what the obstacles and difficulties are, why such issues arise, and how they might enhance the working environment. These discussions can be challenging, but if you offer your knowledge and information, it will help your colleagues and acquaintances understand. These discussions will surely broaden your understanding of the topic, and other people’s perspectives on it, and vice versa.
• Mask Recruitment Process: To lessen unconscious prejudice in recruiting and employee motivation, think about masking your recruitment processes. Details about applicants that are not pertinent to the position and that may expose their suspected gender, colour, or ethnicity, including their identity, hobbies, and background, is known as “blind verification.”
• Hire Diversity and Inclusion Specialist: Conversations that individuals are either hesitant to have or don’t know where to begin can be started, by hiring a diversity and inclusion specialist or putting unconscious bias training into practice. Implicit prejudice is difficult to avoid, especially when a varied team of individuals with a range of perspectives and experiences is involved. 
• Anonymous input: Get anonymous input from your staff on instances of discrimination, microaggressions, harassment, and other challenges in their employment, particularly at your business. With the aid of this data, you can clearly assess your current situation and plan the further measures necessary to increase diversity and shatter the glass ceiling in your organization.

Conclusion

It is essential for any organization to have a culture where there is no space for any gender biases. Glass ceilings reduce diversity, which is bad for businesses, organizations, and the community as a whole. As a result, women and other minorities are underrepresented in management and decision-making roles. Having equal representation gives the organization a chance to get proper feedback from all and make their decisions based on that. These steps will make a level playing field for all the women employees and help them to achieve any position they want.