Women in the corporate world have a tough time “breaking the glass ceiling” is a widely known fact. Which means that women are rarely offered the top positions in companies or given top pay packages, as compared to their male colleagues. Sadly the inequity starts from the very beginning of a woman’s career and continues at every stage. This is the proverbial “broken rung” we are discussing here. Climbing the corporate ladder being the metaphorical path to success, a broken rung signifies a missed opportunity. This is a global issue and not specific to a profession or a country. Women at entry level positions face discrimination for placement and even once they have a job, this continues through-out their career. Let us examine this tendency in greater detail and factors that lead to this bias.

1. It is true that most workplaces are male-dominated and that creates an uneven playing ground to begin with. It could result in women feeling side-lined and their work not appreciated enough. This creates a negative mindset on both sides. The management further aggravates the situation by not giving due credit to the female employees and hampering their progress.
2. Women everywhere take a disproportionate burden of household chores and child rearing. Cooking, cleaning or managing the house is generally seen as a woman’s first job. It is the mother who takes a sabbatical from work to raise the children and thus losing out on the next upgrade at work. When and if they rejoin it is never seen as a continuation. Also, the women do not have the time to upskill themselves while they are busy at home.

3. There is a definite lack of sponsorship for women at the office, while men at higher positions regularly champion the other men waiting to get a raise. Women do get mentored if they look for support but it does not translate into a promotion. Men actively seek out seniors to sponsor them and provide access to opportunities.
4. In today’s time, work places are said to be gender neutral. But they are run by people and they have their innate biases. There are preconceived ideas against advancing women to higher positions - they cannot handle pressure or will leave the job soon anyway. Globally, men on an average get 16% higher salaries than women. While the overall gender pay gap has not changed much, it has narrowed. For the first time ever, women CEOs make up more than 10% among Fortune 500 companies. But advancements are marginal at the manager and director levels. Few women are in positions where their advancement is a natural progression. More often than not, less qualified men get priority when it comes to salary hike and promotion.

This Women’s Day, let us work towards equality at our workplace – people should achieve their promotions based on ability and perseverance. As more and more qualified women enter the corporate work space, it will be difficult to keep them from achieving their desired goals. On a positive note, some companies are extending maternity leaves for new fathers too. Women are getting options to work from home and stay on the job in some sectors. So, let not the ‘broken rung’ put your spirits down. If women are steadfast and stand together as one, they will be able to climb the corporate ladder and there will be no glass ceiling left to break!