Women in power are rarely allowed to fail quietly as their mistakes are seen as evidence of their incompetence; she is incapable of doing the job well.  Courtesy of Creative Commons

Since women have entered the workspace, their growth has been hindered by a glass ceiling. They often find themselves wobbling on the edge of a glass cliff while their every move is scrutinized under a glass spotlight. Despite substantial progress, many women still have never been able to carve a space for themselves, too busy fighting against societal norms and invisible barriers. 

The glass ceiling is not just a metaphor; it represents the embedded systemic barriers in the workplace that limits a woman’s opportunities. Despite sufficient qualifications and ample contributions, women are constantly being overlooked and disregarded for their less-qualified male counterparts. While it is subtle, the glass ceiling is a damaging form of discrimination. In America, only 11.8% of the C-suite, or high-ranking executives, such as CEO or COO, belong to women. This has dropped over a percent from last year, showing that we are moving away from progress. These numbers paint a painful picture of the obstacles women face and highlight the need for a shift in workplace culture. 

When women are able to break the glass ceiling, it is often in times of crisis or failure. A common example in recent years occurs when the company is leaning over a glass cliff. The glass cliff is the phenomenon that women are promoted to leadership positions in high-risk situations. Even though she’s worked her way up to the top, she is merely selected to be a scapegoat, a fallback girl set up for failure. 

1. Mary Barra – General Motors (GM)

Barra took over as CEO of GM in January 2014 when the company was fresh off of declaring bankruptcy and decades of mismanagement. A few months after she started, GM was hit with a recall scandal involving faulty switches resulting in over 100 deaths. Barra had the difficult task of steering GM through this demanding crisis, but she stepped up to the challenge, and escaped the glass cliff. 

2. Theresa May- UK Prime Minister 

May became the Prime Minister in 2016, following the Brexit vote, one of the most controversial political decisions of the 21st century. The nation was divided and she attempted to navigate Brexit, but faced harsh opposition and eventually had to resign from her position. 

3. Ellen Pao- Reddit

Pao became the CEO of Reddit after becoming known for speaking up about gender discrimination hiring practices in Silicon Valley. After attempting to eliminate controversial Reddit communities created for harassment, Pao faced severe backlash, even receiving death threats, that led to her ultimate resignation. 

As if navigating the glass cliff and ceiling was not hard enough, women find themselves under intense scrutiny in the glass spotlight. For example, Vice President Kamala Harris has faced countless racist and misogynistic attacks in an attempt to undermine her authority and accomplishments. This highlights how individuals from marginalized groups experience intensified, unjust criticism more on their identity than their qualifications or actions. Once a woman steps into a “prominent” leadership role, her every move is magnified, amplifying both her successes and failures.

Women in power are rarely allowed to fail quietly as their mistakes are seen as evidence of their incompetence; she is incapable of doing the job well. 

In order to dismantle the glass ceiling, cliff, and spotlight, society needs to intentionally lift women up. 

By providing them with a stable environment and the necessary support, women will be able to thrive from the beginning of their careers. Women deserve to lead, not only in crisis, and have their dedication earn them a coveted position, not be the face of failure. Otherwise, these shards of glass will continue to cut off women’s full potential, piece by piece.