Sticky Floors, Broken Ladders, and Glass Ceilings

Abstract

Career women often face challenges within male-dominated hierarchies and confront traditional values that dictate perceptions of suitable divisions of labor. Research on women's career progression underscores the underrepresentation of women in elite leadership and top executive roles across diverse organizations. Despite the well-documented barriers, there has been insufficient attention given to the specific issues that hinder career women's advancement. The concepts of “sticky floors”, “broken ladders”, and “glass ceilings” encapsulate the various obstacles that impede women from fully accessing and thriving in leadership positions. This chapter will paint a dark but realistic picture of career women's journey towards depression. The idea of equality between men and women should remain where it is supposed to be in books, classrooms, and other environments where reality sometimes either goes on vacation or is overshadowed by self-interest especially from some men in powerful positions who adopt the strategy of “do as we say, not as we did” which amounts to nothing less than kicking away the ladder of development from career women. In an ideal world, there should be a balance in the gender availability on leadership positions as the world is moving its efforts towards anti-discrimination practices. However, the reality presents challenges such as limited career opportunities, gender stereotypes, inequalities, and discrimination faced by career women. This chapter aims to delve into these factors impacting career women's path to leadership roles and their mental well-being. It will also offer recommendations for career women to nurture their mental health at work and for organizations to provide the necessary support.