What is the status of the glass ceiling and does it still exist in the Jamaican workplace? The proverbial ‘glass ceiling’ refers to a situation where women are discriminated against when it comes to promotions and applying for senior roles in the workplace based solely on gender.

One of the biggest or more traditional reasons for this discrimination when it comes to hiring and promoting people is that women are seen as the home-makers, housewives, mothers, care-givers, to be relegated to the home. The majority of parents that stay at home to care for children are still female although there’s an increase in the number of house husbands.

US Studies reveal that when men are starting out in their managerial careers, 52% of males know what role they want compared to only 45% of females. Only half of all women expect to be managers whereas 66% of men have this expectation.

45% of males under 30 aspire to be managers where only 30% of women do. Interesting enough, 24% of women under 30 anticipate starting their own business within 10 years compared with only 20% of men. It may be concluded here that women consider that a self-employed role may enable them to work from home and care for their children simultaneously.

In job interviews, many women are still sometimes asked if they intend on having more children, even though this isn’t considered a politically correct question.  This question assumes that maternity leave will be needed at some point and therefore a burden or stain on the organization.

A Jamaica Employers Federation (JEF) Wages and Salaries survey involving eighty-three companies conducted between June-September 2005 found that sixty-four per cent of the executives surveyed were males while thirty-six per cent were females. But Mr. Clayton research and cooperation manager of JEF who led the study noted that this trend was likely to change over the next ten years as there are currently more females in middle management positions and more females accessing higher education.

As at March 2012, of the more than 300 people who sat on the boards of firms listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, only 17 per cent were women, a marginal one percent increase on over the 2007 figure in a study by the Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre.

Ms. Bobette Bolton, Business Development Services Manager of Point Global Marketing, believes that the glass ceiling does still existing in Jamaica but is on its way out. “The most senior posts of most organizations are commanded by men, like the CEO and the owner.  Within these organizations you find; the board of directors, the executives, the upper level managers, and filtering through middle management and administrators are female dominated posts i.e, the actual movers and shakers in the corporate world are women,” she opines. “Women know their collective potential, that’s why they see each other as threats in some cases. Because we are the hiring-force we offer equitable opportunity based on qualification and not brawn. We look for the best in the workforce. The 21st century sees where there aren’t enough men at the top to stop one from breaching the occupational ladder… the challenge lies in proving your worth and not assuming a stereotype,” Ms. Bolton added.

There’s a powerful saying – Those who complain about glass ceilings should keep in mind that glass can be shattered if one strikes it hard enough and long enough, and women shouldn’t be scared of fighting to break through.

“Women are still not getting the leadership positions. Women have broken into and continue to break into various fields, but these fields are still male dominated,” the Director of Policy and Research at the Bureau of Women’s Affairs, Jennifer Williams said.

If the glass ceiling does still exist in the workplace then it’s up to everyone to work towards destroying it once and for all. BM