The Glass Ceiling for Women in the Workforce

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In America many groups have fought hard to gain equality in treatment, rights, and everyday living standards. Women are included amongst these groups. At one point in history women were not allowed to vote or carry the same positions as men in work. Due to amendments and affirmative action these hindrances for women have been abolished. What still remains to day is the inner struggle within jobs also known as glass ceilings? Glass ceilings are daily obstacles for most women in their jobs every day. As country of equal opportunity should we Americans continue to fight for more equality or accept the situation and be grateful for the change that has already come into place?

What exactly is a glass ceiling and how were these ceilings put up in the first place? A glass ceiling defined by Webster is “an intangible barrier within the hierarchy of a company that prevents women from obtaining upper level positions” (Miriam - Webster’s… 1). The first big controversy was that women were not being hired for positions offered to men. Women were expected to be homemakers, nurses, or teachers. Men argued that women were not educated enough. But due to affirmative action this changed too. Women were allowed and admitted to Universities. By bettering their educations they became more qualified for business positions. Working in corporate offices or as doctors was still an unheard of idea. Through much fighting this too changed and women were hired whether by choice of the employer or by new state regulations women were hired. Now that there is equality within the work field women are complaining about salaries or rates of pay. Women who are equally qualified for positions if not more qualified for positions are being p...

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...e our children to be and expect more than we did, and teach them to live life as a person and not as a gender role. By the time they reach adulthood glass ceilings will fall. Why because girls would have been taught that they are equally capable and that equality is what is right.

Works Cited

Su, Sophia. Glass Ceilings: The Working Woman’s Guide to Overcome Them. 2002. Jobstreet, 1 Aug. 2002,

Mapping Out a System to Shatter Glass Ceilings and Glass Walls. 2000. Advancing Women, 1 Aug. 2002,

Miriam. Webster. Miriam – Webster’s Collegiate Dictinary. 1984.

1 Aug. 2002. < http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary>

Marger, Martin N. Social Inequalities: patterns and processes. 2nd ed. Michigan : Lansing, 1999.

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