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Cracking The Glass Ceiling And The Work That's Left To Be Done

Growth
Cracking The Glass Ceiling And The Work That's Left To Be Done

This episode, we're breaking into a topic we've been waiting to talk about for a long time: the glass ceiling. In honor of Vice President Kamala Harris and all of the other extraordinary women leaders that surround us, we're talking about the barriers to success that affect women's professional careers and very much still exist today, ranging from blatantly obvious inequities to deeper, systemic issues that are woven into the foundation of our established systems. How does the glass ceiling impact women, businesses, and our economy at large? What work is still left to be done?

In her nomination acceptance speech, Vice President Kamala Harris shared some moving words that stuck with us: "While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities." We thought Inauguration Day would be a fitting time to break into this beast of a topic, the glass ceiling, and all of the nuances that come along with it.

Women in the workforce are all too familiar with the barriers that the metaphorical glass ceiling presents. While women have outnumbered men on college campuses since the mid-1980s, women have not moved up to positions of prominence and power in America at a rate that is reflective of this. Today, there is a substantial gap between a small number of prominent women at the very top of their fields and the vast majority of women nationwide. While many might feel that the glass ceiling has been shattered and our work is done, this is far from the truth.

While we're seeing more women than ever step into positions of leadership, the glass ceiling is still looming over our heads. This episode, we're tackling this topic from a variety of perspectives: everything from the large-scale economic impact of the glass ceiling, to the inspiring women who have helped crack the ceiling, to the work that's still to be done.

Mentioned in this episode: The Women’s Leadership Gap (Center for American Progress)