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The glass escalator refers to men who work in traditionally female-dominated fields, such as nursing, education, and social work, being promoted faster than their female colleagues.
There is a scene in DoctorG where Ayushmann’s gynaecology classmates celebrate his first delivery despite a series of missteps which gets called out by Shefali Shah who plays the department head. The scene is a classic reminder of the concept of called glass escalator.
Being one of the invisible barriers that women face in their career advancement, glass escalator is one of the least understood concepts. “Glass escalator,” is a term used to describe how men in female-dominated industries often ascend to leadership positions faster than their female colleagues.
Gender inequality in leadership positions is a pervasive issue in India. In a country where women form a miniscule 15% of the workforce, we need to do everything we can to educate ourselves about glass escalators.
By now, we are all aware that most of the famous chefs are men, even though women cook more and have more experience cooking in our households. Our social structures are designed to believe that men bring a unique perspective to the fields and are more valuable than women. It also reinforces gender stereotypes that men should be in leadership positions while women are best suited for supporting roles.
The glass escalator refers to men who work in traditionally female-dominated fields, such as nursing, education, and social work, being promoted faster than their female colleagues. The glass escalator has significant implications for women’s leadership. Women in traditionally female-dominated fields are often overlooked for leadership positions in favour of their male colleagues.
This deprives women of opportunities to advance their careers and perpetuates the gender gap in leadership positions. The glass escalator also reinforces stereotypes that women are not suited for leadership roles, further limiting their chances of advancement. As per the report compiled by Deloitte, as of 2021 women just held 10% of board positions in publicly traded companies in India. This is even though government rule mandates having at least one woman on every board.
“In a glass escalator scenario, the focus is on the men, and their performance is observed positively. Even if many women are performing at the same level or even better, since the focus is on the men, their work gets the credit,” said Neeraja Ganesh, a Bengaluru based mentor and leadership trainer. “The only way out is for the women to build their visibility, work on their personal brand and build a good network of mentors and sponsors.”
To break through the glass escalator, women need to advocate for themselves and actively seek out leadership opportunities. Women should, “Find opportunities to showcase their achievements, however small they are. Use communication tools like storytelling to make it more impactful,” advises Neeraja, adding, “They can also build allies who will advocate for them.”
They should also seek out mentors and sponsors who can offer guidance and support in navigating their careers. Companies also have a critical role to play in creating a level playing field for women. They should prioritize gender diversity in their hiring and promotion practices and invest in leadership development programs for women. Unconscious bias training, independent reviews of performance ratings and promotions, and dipstick surveys from employees should become part of company culture.
To dismantle this barrier, we must work towards breaking down gender stereotypes and promoting gender diversity in leadership positions. Women must also take an active role in advocating for themselves and seeking out leadership opportunities. Companies must prioritize gender diversity in their hiring and promotion practices and invest in leadership development programs for women. Only by working together can we create a more equitable and inclusive workplace for women in India.
Image source: a still from the film Doctor G
I am a journalist from India. I now live in Toronto and have worked as a business reporter for leading newspapers in India. I have tracked telecom, infrastructure, and real estate news developments and have read more...
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We need to stop stereotyping women's bodies, and also be more sensitive towards our children who are growing up with terrible self-confidence leading to loneliness and depression.
When Kate Winslet said, “Young women should enjoy their life instead of worrying about how they look,” it stuck a cord with me. I am one of those women who struggle with body image issues in a society heavily influenced by unrealistic beauty standards and societal expectations, and Kate’s statement was empowering.
I grew up listening to unsolicited advice about wearing clothes a size bigger than what I wear; everyone took a free ride to comment about my bra and how big it was. I have spent most of my life loathing how I look—my size, weight, clothes, appearance, skin tone, and hair. This isn’t because I’m not too fond of how I appear, but rather because I’ve been told repeatedly by most trusted people around me that I have one or more flaws.
It is imperative that, as a society, we shed our stereotypical thought not just to support women but also our children who are growing up with terrible self-confidence leading to loneliness and depression. We can significantly impact our mental health and well-being by fostering a culture of compassion, understanding, and empowerment.
Here are some online tools for startups to use for their tech needs for organising work, mind mapping, ideation, etc.
Most startups are bootstrapped, the budget is low, there is no funding, startups need some support and excellent tools to run the show. The team may be working at one place or the team is spread across the globe, but the team needs to brainstorm. Brainstorming can be fun. Listing few resources which a startup or entrepreneurs can use for brainstorming.
Bubbl.us is an interesting tool which is useful to take notes, brainstorm and organize new ideas, collaborate, and capture thoughts. It allows you to avoid distraction by focusing on task, to collaborate and share with friends, families, team and social media. Essentially no hassle of downloading any app, works on mobile and desktop. You can use the basic plan to explore and later subscribe for at $4.91/month, $59 billed annually.
Miro offers the quickest, easiest way for teams to capture, organize and visualize thoughts, solutions, ideas across the team. Other than brainstorming, it can be used for project planning, creating organizational charts and sales strategies. It runs on all devices: mobile, tablet, desktop or interactive display.
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