Fewer women than last year are reaching the top in their chosen professions, an annual survey has found.
Progress on equality is moving at a snail’s pace, the Equality and Human Rights Commission says, blaming Britain’s long-hours culture and inflexible working pactices.
At this rate it will take women 55 years to reach parity with men at senior levels in the judiciary and 73 years to draw level in the number of FTSE 100 company directors, the commission predicts.
Do you have any experience of the glass ceiling and do you agree that women’s progress at senior levels in the workplace is stalling? If so, what is needed to turn things around?
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12 comments so far
This is the best possible news for western societies because it means that more women are doing what only they should and can do which is take many years of time out to concentrate on their families. It’s basically a ‘daddy’s girl’ phenomenon which made a generation of women think that a career was more important than family. Of course, daddy wants his little girl to succeed in the same way as he did and not go away emotionally from him to another man. The result is a broken and ageing society. I had a career and, believe me, it was like ‘writing on water’. The moment you are out the door, no-one gives a damn what you did. A family, by contrast, really is the future.
- Posted by John LambleAs an employer I know how frustrating it is to have to choose between two potential employees, male and female, knowing full well the female will most likely choose to get pregnant and will be less competitive than the male. When will women stop playing the victim card and take responsibility for there own shortcomings?
- Posted by ZackThere is a “job”, vastly more important, and profoundly more meaningful, then working in an office etc.
- Posted by Patrick BaxterThat job is the raising of the rising generation.
If this job is not properly done, and women do it best, then we have the social problems so prevalent in UK society.
What really matters to you?
How far does your vision extend?
with comments like the above I can see why I am stalling in the middle management bracket. What none sense. women are good at childrearing and good at business… Perhaps not placing so much emphasis on ‘recent experience’ and focusing on competencies is a start. Both private and public sector organisations need a kick up the backside.
- Posted by BarbaraChildren require sacrifice, that’s the reality, and it should be up to the family to decide which partner sacrifices their career prospects (Maternity\Paternity should be fully transferrable to allow for this). If you are unable to give the commitment a job that someone else of equal ability can, a company should pick the other person. Life is discrimination; deal with it.
- Posted by JohnThe emergency services are a classic example of this. Lots of effort to get females in at the lowest levels but the opposite when it comes to promoting into high level roles. In fact,in the uniformed department which tends to attract the most women (Control rooms), the staff actually get paid less than the other departments which are staffed by almost completely men. This is often justified due to officers ‘risking their lives’ but this is not the case across the HQ departments, yet still these males are paid at a higher level for the same rank. And this was agreed by the government. So until women’s roles are equally valued, women will not be taken seriously as they try to climb to the high level positions.
- Posted by JaneGreat news, more women staying at home and helping to raise a decent generation possibly? With the soaring rates of knife crime, shootings, muggings and general disobedience and rudeness in society we need a return to some family values. All the govt and these people are concerned about is talent? so more growth, more money, work your life away, commute for 2 hours a day, what a sham!
The govt needs to wake to a painful reality, the illusion of prosperity and wealth won’t be sustained much longer, with the bursting of the credit bubble, falling home prices, large trade deficits and the mother of all energy crisis approaching like a freight train. We continue to live in our denial state of existence. Britains economy must be reshaped along family and community lines if it is to stand any chance of surviving the monumental challenges which lie ahead.
- Posted by VkNot all women are good mothers,and some dont want to be mothers at all. Not all men are competent business people. Only the best get to the corner office IF given the chance. Its the unconscious bias of assuming women will place more priority of time and effort on their kids that prevent the playing field from being equal.
Both sexes have to take responsibility for their actions in their careers and in their lives.Both men and women should share childcare and eldercare responsibilities - so conferences, networking and events can be attended by both partners to advance their careers.
I know a lot of average men who spend a lot of time checking the sports scores instead of getting work done. shall we chat about that?
check out our site http://www.theglasshammer.com to see all aspects of the glass ceiling argument everyday. its what we do.
- Posted by NickiThe “Glass Ceiling” is real, but these idiots blame it on discrimination, as per usual. It seems feminists are completely devoid of any scholarly pursuit.
Men and women have about the same average abilities, but men have a much higher variance. That means that at the very top and the very bottom, men dominate. Glass ceilings are about the very top (noone appears to care that men at the bottom are doing far worse than their female counter-parts), and at the very top there are justifiably more men. Facts of life.
- Posted by EdwardIt’s always possible that a majority of women aren’t stupid enough to fall for the corporate trick that traps so many men.
Interesting that this issue has been brought to our attention yet again by a few women finding themselves lonely and trapped.
- Posted by Dane AubrunNot all women are mothers - and what’s wrong with equal pay for equal work?!
- Posted by PaulaBut, if motherhood is essential to the raising of children then why do women not want the role?
In a society where the thing that is valued above all is money and stay at home mothers oft considered dull, lazy or worse, there should be no suprise that women want to work outside the home.
[...] mobility in the corporate world may be thickening, at least for women in the U.K. According to a survey released by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, progress for women is “moving at a [...]
- Posted by Is the Glass Ceiling Thickening in the UK? » The Glass Hammer