GENDER, WORK AND WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT (2):Glass-Ceiling Effect

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Gender Issues In Psychology (PSY - 512)

Lesson 27

GENDER, WORK AND WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT (2)

Recap:

_ The concept of work and empowerment

_ Five case studies

_ Problems faced by women pertaining to economic empowerment

Gender, Work and Women's Empowerment

Women's empowerment, economic, requires a career or a formal occupation. A formal occupation requires

education, training and skill. But considering women's empowerment or career development, one comes across

a number of hurdles:

No education:

In many parts of the world the girl child is denied the right to education, either due to societal attitudes,

stereotypical beliefs, or inaccessibility of educational facility.

Faulty or non-career oriented education:

In many cases females do have a right and access to education, but the very nature of education imparted to

them does not lead them to a career path.

1. Glass-Ceiling Effect:

2. Multiple/ Dual Roles:

Women, even when sharing all responsibilities of life with men, have to look after all the household affairs too.

3. Harassment

4. Violence against women

The first two issues have been discussed in detail in the section on gender and education. In this section the

Glass-Ceiling effect and Dual/multiple roles will be discussed. The last two will be discussed later on.

Glass-Ceiling Effect

How will you feel in a situation like this?

`You are standing in the atrium of beautiful tall building; your favorite person whom you have not seen in the

last years is standing on the roof of the floor above yours. You want to reach him at once in a jump, but you

can't jump or even use a ladder to reach there because there is a glass ceiling between you two. All other ways

ad passages to that destination are locked or blocked. You can see that person, you have the faith that if give a

chance you can be there in a plunge; BUT you are unable to do so because the people in control have set up

things in such a manner that it is impossible for you to reach where you wanted to reach'.

How will you feel?? Dishearted? Frustrated? Depressed? Angry? Helpless? or may be Trapped?? This is what

most highly talented, capable, qualified and experienced female executives or professionals feel....... The glass-

ceiling effect.

Glass-ceiling refers to "the invisible barriers arising from a complex set of structures in male-dominated

organizations which prevents women from obtaining top positions in management and administration" (ILO,

Geneva, 2003).

"This phenomenon prevails almost every where despite women's increased level of qualification and work

performance. It has been demonstrated by research and statistics and is, at least partly, a result of persistent

discrimination against women at work" (ILO, 2003).

Glass-ceiling is different form the typical form of discrimination. It is not an open, concrete, stated barrier to

women's access to higher status in an organization; it is an invisible, unsaid, and subtle barrier. The route to

promotion, and pre-requisites for higher positions, one designed in such a manner that they favor men and

proves to be hurdles for women. This state of affairs makes it difficult, if not impossible, for women to reach

top positions in the management or administration.

Factors responsible for Glass Ceiling

Available research findings and statistics have shown that a number of socio economic variables cause the

glass-ceiling (ILO, 2003).

Persistent discrimination against women at work

Gender Issues In Psychology (PSY - 512)

"The nature of women's typical career paths blocks their progress to top positions. Women are primarily

placed in non-strategic sectors and personal and administrative positions rather than in posts leading to the

top" (ILO, 2003).

"Women have less access to training and are cut off from formal and informal networks that are essential for

advancement within enterprises" (ILO, 2003).

"Women workers still tend more than men, to bear the main burden of family responsibilities, as well as paid

and unpaid work; this double burden hampers their upward movement" (ILO, 2003).

Consequences of Glass-Ceiling

1: Felt incapacity and inferiority

2: Frustration and helplessness

3: A sense of injustice

4: Job dissatisfaction

5: Strengthened gender stereotypical beliefs

Strategies for breaking through the Glass-ceiling

A number of practical steps can be adopted for facilitating women's access to top management positions.

ILO (2004; 2003) documents state strategies for promoting women to eliminate sex discrimination;

"Improving legal frameworks to eliminate sex discrimination;

Enhancing awareness of obligations and rights, including or gender equality;

Affirmative action, mentoring and monitoring for women;

More flexible and reduced working hours, as well as adequate childcare and elder-care facilities, to

enable both parents to better combine family and career;

_ Better access of women to a business skills training and entrepreneurship development to help them

run their own business;

_ Improving women's access to training, in particular in technical and management fields;

_ Reviewing human resource development practice to recognize the potential value of non-conventional

career paths and to facilitate women's access to managerial positions;

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