Do you know what glass ceiling means in the world of business?
“The glass ceiling will go away when women help other women break through that ceiling.”
— Indra Nooyi, Former chairperson and CEO, PepsiCo. This Indian-American business honcho is regarded as someone who shattered the glass-ceiling in corporate world. Nooyi was a champion in her own right, who inspired billions of young Indian women to thrive and succeed in an otherwise male-dominated bastion. In fact, she was featured in both Forbes and Fortune magazines as one of the most influential business leaders in the world time and again.
Wondering what a glass ceiling was? Well, we are referring to the popular metaphor that exists in the corporate segment. It refers to the obstacles that restrict women from progression in their career. In a nutshell, glass ceiling reflects the gender discrimination that women face in the corporate world. But how did this unique phrase come into being? Let us find out.
The birth of the term glass ceiling
Gay Bryant, a British-born editor and writer, is known to have used the coinage 'glass ceiling' in March 1984. Adweek, a weekly American trade publication, quoted Byrant as saying, “Women have reached a certain point—I call it the glass ceiling … in the top of middle management and they're stopping and getting stuck.” It was also noticed in an article on the challenges faced by women in the world of business published in the March 24, 1986 edition of the Wall Street Journal. In 1991, the US Department of Labour defined glass ceiling as "those artificial barriers based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevent qualified individuals from advancing upward in their organization into management-level positions."
Why are career barriers described as glass ceiling?
Being transparent, glass is not visible. Similarly, the career challenges faced by women in the corporate world are also not visible. The gender discrimination is implicit and manifests through certain policies, practices and attitudes. These are too subtle to be noticed ordinarily.
Women who broke the glass ceiling
Women all around the world, be it in the field of politics, business, sports or public service have shattered the glass-ceiling, time and again. Here, we introduce you to some of them.
GS Lakshmi: If you have ever wondered whether women are ever appointed as referees, here is your answer. Yes, they indeed are. In 2008, GS Lakshmi became the first ever woman referee to be appointed by the International Cricket Council’s Panel of Match Referees. Lakshmi broke the glass-ceiling by proving that not only can women begin their career in their 50s, but also dare to foray into an otherwise male-dominated arena.
Lt. General Punita Arora: Punita Arora was serving as a two-starred general in the Indian Armed Forces, when she was promoted to the position of a Lieutenant. She became the first ever Indian woman to achieve the feat of a three-starred rank. Later on, she was also appointed as the Vice Admiral of Indian Navy, a prestigious honour in itself.
Megan J. Brennan: This exemplary woman became the first-ever female Postmaster General of the United States in 2015. Meaning? She is now the CEO of the U.S. Postal Service.
Junko Tabei: This Japanese mountaineer became the first Asian woman to reach the top of Mount Everest in 1975. But wait, that’s not all. Eventually, she also became the first woman to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents.