Barriers to Career Choices for Women

Women still face informal barriers in career advancement.

It wasn't so long ago American women were heavily restricted, both officially and unofficially, in the professional world. Thanks to legislation forbidding gender discrimination in hiring and promotion practices women have advanced to places in the professional world that were unthinkable at the beginning of the 20th century. However, women still face barriers that interfere with career choices.

Military

As of 2011, the U.S. military was the last place in the nation with jobs which were legally off limits to women. All military service branches made their special operations forces units off-limits to women. In the Army and Marine Corps, jobs that involve directly fighting the enemy, such as infantry or forward scouts, were closed to women. These restrictions were discouraging to many women at the time, especially since the United States' wars at the beginning of the 21st century saw women in support positions routinely come under fire.

Promotion Cultures

One barrier to women who want to pursue the highest offices in a company is a corporate culture with holdovers from the days when business leadership was all male by default. These include social events, which ambitious professionals use for networking and self-promotion with their bosses, in places women may not feel comfortable. These include male-only country clubs or venues that feature adult entertainment targeted at males. This can put women at an effective competitive disadvantage with males who feel comfortable in these venues.

Maternity Leave

Women may face a long-term career choice of either having children or keeping their careers on track. Whereas new fathers can take a few days off when their children come into the world, the necessary medical leave, and desired maternity leave, from work can take much longer. Additionally, if couples want a parent to be at home with the child for a period of months or years then there is a cultural pressure for the woman to be the one to stay at home. Even if couples decide who will stay home solely on the basis of who has the smaller paycheck, the fact that women make less than their exact male counterparts means that women are still more likely to draw the short straw. These extended absences from the professional world creates an effective barrier on how far women who take these breaks can rise in their fields.

Glass Cliff

The "glass ceiling" refers to the existence of an informal barrier on how far women seem to be able to rise in some companies, regardless of their accomplishments or qualifications. The "glass cliff" refers to the phenomenon in which the same mistake will have a much graver effect on the individual when it is made by a women as opposed to when a man makes it. Most professionals won't make it through their career without making a few mistakes. However, the glass cliff means these same mistakes will erect barriers on the rest of the woman's career that won't exist for men who make identical errors.

References

• "Hillary"; Sex Discrimination in the Workplace; Heather Riccio
• "Christian Science Monitor"; Workplace Discrimination: Welcome to the 'Glass Cliff'; Dec. 8, 2010
• "Market Watch"; Gender Pay Discrepancy Down; Gap Remains; Ruth Mantell; April 2009
• "Pregnancy Today"; Career & Maternity Leave; Julia Rosien
• "Reuters"; Women Soldiers Not Seen Picking Up Combat Arms Soon; Missy Ryan; Jan. 20, 2011