An Overview of the Career Development of Female Leaders in the Face of Gender Discrimination in China

Abstract

Independent, confident and competent women in the workplace have become an essential and luminous component of social life. But behind the landscape, women at work are also facing unprecedented pressure, particularly in China, where womens employment rate stands at 73%. As a result of long-term gender discrimination, women are incessantly in disadvantaged position at work and are often treated unfairly. The research on the career development of female leaders under gender discrimination is summarised and evaluated based on the analytical framework of influencing factors - development dilemma - outcome impact. Firstly, the analysis of the available literature on the determinants of discrimination against women leaders is grouped into three perspectives: social environment, traditional culture and individual women; secondly, the existing studies on the development dilemma of discrimination against women leaders are reviewed and interpreted from four perspectives: market hiring, workplace pay, workplace promotion and gender segregation; finally, the impact of discrimination against women leaders on women themselves, the social soft environment and the development and performance of the industry is evaluated. In addition, based on an analysis of the existing literature, it is concluded that the results of gender discrimination in the workplace environment for female leaders affect their future career development, as well as a prospective research direction for the future career development of female leaders.