I have just been reading Madison Magazine (October 2009, page 280). They have an interview with Clare Lindop, a jockey and the first woman to ride in the Melbourne cup.

She is reported to have said, "If you've been overlooked for a promotion, never allow yourself to take the attitude, 'It's because I'm female.' If you've missed out, there's probably some other reason."

I'm in private practice as a sole practitioner and speech pathologist. I am the only person who creates any glass ceiling, I’m only competing with myself. It’s a micro-business of one!

Yes! I'm a manager at an accounting practice (international, so it SHOULD know better) and the 'boys' go for a drink each Friday. While the 'girls' are invited, it often degenerates into the usual sexual innuendo. I can fight for myself, but the junior girls find it hard to ignore and just smile and 'get the joke' to fit in ...

It's the perception of a glass ceiling that's the problem - not the reality - in my experience the most motivated person wins.
Cynthia Padre

YES! there is a glass ceiling. I read research recently that found that if women spoke as much as 50% in meetings men judged them to be too dominant and talking too much.

50% - how ridiculous is that?

I also find as an executive woman that I get a lot of sexist comments about my female staff, made by the male executives, e.g "I am surprised you can get a word in on your team they all talk so much", or they refer to my team as my "harem."

Executive men in Australia are threatened by, or don't know how to respond to, bright confident women.

What are their wives like?

Alexia

I have just been talking to a group of women leaders - the number at senior levels who are still expected by the men to do the cleaning, the tea making, the photocopying or take the minutes (because they are a woman) is astounding ...

Interesting to see today's front page cover of WA News of Citizen of Year - there are 13 men and 2 women. Still a long way to go for women. We must start pushing women up the front with nominations.

Regards Kath

Great discussion! Looks almost like a divided vote:

Group 1: Yes! it's a Boys Club out there

Group 2: All Glass Ceilings are self imposed

I subscribe to Group 2.

As I just posted on other site ... I was interviewed this morning by an Adelaide journalist writing on this very subject. While I agree there are many structures (or lack of them, such as flexible work hours, paid maternity leave, job share options, etc.) that limit women significantly ... I still believe we currently lack the collective power to change that - the time WILL come when we can, I am sure.

In the meantime, I believe we as businesswomen need to focus on what we CAN change, what we CAN control - and that's ourselves. Our thoughts, beliefs, mindsets, the way we promote ourselves ... and even, dare I say, saying NO to making the cups of tea, doing the cleaning and photocopying and taking minutes at meetings.

Time to get assertive, me thinks.

If you're interested in some studies re: how female entrepreneurs are NEEDED to help shift and lift the global economy, this is a wonderful read: http://bit.ly/3o4TXD

Lots of stats and personally I found it great (and heartening) to hear of all the global initiatives that are particularly helping women in lower socio-economic areas of the world.

So let's get to it, fellow females ... and let's get out of our own way!

The glass ceiling in family business? BRW has this week (august 5th - 11th 2010) published an article about a gender bias in small family businesses.

It says, "Family businesses are amongst the worst offenders when it comes to the promotion of women. ...

Sons are 5x more likely than daughters to succeed their fathers in family businesses, the family and private business survey carried out by accounting firm MGI Australasia shows. Women form a minority when it comes to ownership of family business (11%) and only 5.9% of business owners involve their daughters in the business."

The report was written by Jan Lindhe....

I'd be interested in a breakdown of the statistics. For example, whether the family businesses mentioned were run by male and female jointly, solely female, or solely male. In what industries were the family businesses run? Were there more sons than daughters of the business owners ie. proportions of male to female? How many of these businesses are ethnically based? These are just some of the factors that determine statistics of this kind.

For example, if a business is run by "dad", it could be argued that his daughter/s would prefer to forge ahead in a career of their own interest and making rather than having their future mapped out for them? If this is the case, then the statistics could indicate that women are actually more independent than their brothers. Could it be that sons are more more compliant under a father's rule? Maybe daughters just aren't interested in "dad's" business. It's impossible to involve a daughter in any meaningful way within a family business if she has no interest in it. There are so many different ways of looking at this and interpreting the results.

My parents jointly ran successful businesses for many years whilst my brother and I were growing up. If they were still running them when we had reached adulthood I would have had no interest in being involved. However, my brother may well have followed in their footsteps.

A very interesting topic!