Women in Business and Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling.
Imagine a world that is fair and offers equal opportunity to anyone who pursues improvement in life. Women and other minorities have been discriminated against since the beginning of time. In modern day society minorities are striking back. Women now run companies such as Carleton S. Fiorina, CEO of Hewlett-Packard.
We have seen powerful women like Hillary Clinton enter high political positions. Janet Reno was elected as the first woman Attorney General. Women , such as Oprah Winfrey dominate the entertainment industry. Oprah has overcome many discriminations being a strong black woman. These women are all very successful and have seemed to break through the "glass ceiling", but we still have a long way to go. In the business world women can be just as qualified as men but something always seems to hold them back. The invisible barrier that holds women back from achieving their goals is called the glass ceiling.
Women from all walks of life will have to face barriers of discrimination. I recently interviewed a woman director who was appointed to public office. I will refer to this woman as Mrs. Smith for privacy reasons. Mrs. Smith grew up in a Metropolitan area of a large city. She moved to Gallia County and realized just how male oriented a small town can be. Mrs. Smith said that all her life she has had to deal with the glass ceiling and discrimination. Mrs.Smith recalled a time when her male colleagues held a meeting before she arrived and discussed the way the meeting was going to go. In the actual meeting the men ganged up on her, making it seem like she was not as involved. Mrs. Smith said," Men do not give proper credit for our knowledge and manipulate women with negativity and hidden agendas." Mrs. Smith has also been subjected to salary differences because of her gender. (personal interview, April 2,2002).
It seems that women have to work twice as hard to achieve what comes easy to most men.