Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling

This report suggests that progress has halted, with merely a few significant exceptions amongst the women holding powerful positions across public and private sectors. Its findings show that the number of females in top jobs has dropped in 12 out of 25 categories, with fewer female MPs, cabinet members, senior police officers and judges now in place than was the case 12 months ago.
„Workplaces forged in an era of ‚stay at home mums‘ and ‚breadwinner dads‘ are putting too many barriers in the way [of women], resulting in an avoidable loss of talent at the top” said  EHRC chief executive Nicola Brewer.  “We need radical change to support those who are doing great work and help those who want to work better and release talent.“

From 1 January 2008 it became compulsory for Norwegian companies to appoint a substantial number of women to their management boards. Norway now leads the world in gender equality at board level. Only days after the 1 January 2008 deadline had passed, almost every single listed company had female members on its board.

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Women are forging ahead of men in educational success and many female graduates are earning more than their male counterparts. Yet by their mid-thirties, many of these women remain in the middle ranks of management or drop out altogether. This does not appear to be just a motherhood issue: educated women without children are making the same career choices.

Susan Pinker, in her new book The Sexual Paradox, believes that the answer to this paradox is mainly biological and it is not any lack of ability or opportunity that prevents so many women from attaining upper management hierarchy.  While making no claim that discrimination has been eradicated, she believes it is a result of women being genetically programmed to want different things.  They tend to seek “inherent meaning” in their jobs, while men tend to seek power and control.  As Pinker suggests, “Even with all the barriers stripped away, they don't behave like male clones.”

The Confederation of British Industry says that many women choose relatively low paid careers because not only do they offer more flexibility when they choose to start a family but also the opportunity to work part-time. If women do not wish to be corporate executives, does it matter?  Surely we can find other ways to value their achievements?  Is government intervention on gender issues the best way to create real change in the corporate world or is it time to look away from the statistics and consider the “female” viewpoint?

For more info: www.equalityhumanrights.com, www.cbi.org.uk or www.europeanpwn.net

By Jan Maytum
Photo: iStockPhoto, Fotolia

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