What Is the Glass Ceiling?

What Is the Glass Ceiling?

Let me explain the glass ceiling to you directly: it's a metaphorical invisible barrier that stops certain people from getting promoted to managerial or executive positions in an organization or industry.

You often hear this term when talking about the challenges women and minorities face in climbing the ladder in a corporate world dominated by men. These barriers aren't usually written down in company rules; they're more about accepted norms and hidden biases that hold people back without any official policy saying so.

Understanding the Glass Ceiling

Marilyn Loden came up with the phrase 'glass ceiling' back in 1978 while speaking at the Women's Exposition in New York. She was filling in for her company's only female executive and was supposed to talk about how women were at fault for their own barriers, but instead, I want you to know she pointed out the real, overlooked problems that have kept women out of power roles historically.

This idea got more attention in a 1986 Wall Street Journal article that looked at corporate structures and how unseen obstacles kept women from rising beyond a certain point. By 2015, the same publication noted the concept might trace back to the 1970s with two women at Hewlett-Packard, and now it includes minorities too.

The gap in equality differs by country and can stem from cultural views against women and minorities in the workforce. In the U.S., companies are tackling this by prioritizing diversity, like hiring specialists to boost representation of women and minorities in management. If you focus on breaking down these barriers, companies ensure the best people end up in decision-making spots.

As of 2023, women make up 46.9% of the U.S. labor force, but they only hold 30.6% of chief executive roles, and 85.8% of those executives are White, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Research indicates that diverse teams make better decisions than uniform ones, which means getting rid of the glass ceiling can directly improve a company's profits.

History of the Glass Ceiling

The U.S. Department of Labor started the Glass Ceiling Commission in 1991 to deal with the barriers blocking women and minorities from advancing. Its job was to pinpoint those obstacles and look at company policies that could promote more diversity in top roles.

The commission discovered that qualified women and minorities were often shut out from competing for or getting leadership positions. It also found that stereotypes from both workers and bosses painted women and minorities negatively.

When Hillary Clinton campaigned for president in 2008 and 2016, she talked about breaking the 'highest, hardest glass ceiling' to become the first female U.S. president. Kamala Harris broke through as the first female, Black, and South Asian vice president on January 20, 2021. She also held firsts as California's attorney general and San Francisco's district attorney. After President Biden stepped back from a second term in 2024, Harris aimed for the nomination but lost to Donald Trump on November 6, 2024.

In 2024, there were 52 female CEOs in Fortune 500 companies, unchanged from 2023 and up from 44 in 2022.

The Glass Ceiling vs. the Glass Cliff

You should distinguish the glass ceiling from the glass cliff, which is when women get promoted to power roles during crises, making failure more probable. This happens in areas like finance, politics, tech, and academia.

While the glass ceiling blocks access to top levels, the glass cliff puts those who break through into risky spots, almost like they're set up to fall. If Hillary Clinton had won in 2008 during the Great Recession, she might have exemplified this. Professors Michelle K. Ryan and Alexander Haslam from the University of Exeter coined the term in 2004 after studying FTSE 100 companies in Britain.

Examples of the Glass Ceiling

There are clear cases where people have faced and broken the glass ceiling. As I mentioned, Hillary Clinton was the first woman to win the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, and Kamala Harris followed in 2024. Harris also became the first female U.S. vice president, and the first Black and South Asian in that role.

Janet Yellen shattered barriers as the first female Treasury secretary, sworn in on January 26, 2021, under President Biden. She was also the first woman to chair the Federal Reserve under President Obama.

After his 2024 election, Donald Trump appointed Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, making her the first woman in that position.

The Bottom Line

In summary, the glass ceiling is a metaphor for how marginalized groups like women and minorities get stuck in their career climbs. Corporate leadership is mostly held by White men from privileged backgrounds, making it tough for others to reach the top.

Efforts are increasing to dismantle these invisible walls and open up executive roles. Progress is happening, but inequality remains widespread in the workforce.