Glass ceiling still intact and female talent underutilized

For over a decade, media, scholarly articles and institutions have called for the dismantling of the “glass ceiling” that bars women from top positions. The “glass walls” within hierarchal structures that reproduce occupational segregation also create subtle barriers making career pathways different for women compared to men. 

Yet today, women are catching up and surpassing men in academic achievement. At the same time companies are reporting difficulties in attracting and retaining talent generally and women in particular. While there is much unemployment, the lack of workers with the right skills sets and knowledge required by a range of economic sectors is increasingly a challenge.

The ILO company survey revealed that 34 per cent of the companies responding indicated that retention of women was a problem to a great extent, while another 16 per cent said it was a problem to some extent. 

Yet, there is plenty of evidence of the benefits to business of tapping into the talent pool that women represent – including being in tune with a consumer market increasingly driven by women, benefiting from the innovation and creativity that gender diversity can bring, improving corporate governance and, as a result, enhancing company outcomes.