The term 'glass ceiling' was coined in 1984. More than 20 years later, the ceiling has barely cracked. There isn't a single country in the world that has as many female as male politicians. In business, the situation is even worse. Its highest echelon - the board - remains a chauvinist's dream.
Interpretation
The glass ceiling persists, indicating ongoing gender inequality in politics and business.
This quote highlights the concept of the 'glass ceiling,' which represents the invisible barriers that prevent women from achieving equal representation in high-level positions, particularly in politics and business. Noreena Hertz underscores that despite progress since the term was introduced, gender disparity remains entrenched, with women still underrepresented in influential roles, pointing to a broader issue of systemic sexism.
In practice
In a speech about women in politics, one might say, 'As we reflect on the challenges that women face, we must acknowledge that the glass ceiling has barely cracked, as Noreena Hertz noted.'
The problem lies with us: we've become addicted to experts. We've become addicted to their certainty, their assuredness, their definitiveness, and in the process, we have ceded our responsibility, substituting our intellect and our intelligence for their supposed words of wisdom.
We live increasingly in a world of haves and have-nots, of gated communities next to ghettos, of extreme poverty and unbelievable riches. Some enjoy rights that are completely denied to others. Relative inequalities are exploding, and the world's poorest, despite all the advances of globalisation, may even be getting poorer.
It is probable that both in life and in art the values of a woman are not the values of a man.
I've said this before, and I'm sure there are people who disagree, but I feel like one of the reasons there aren't a lot more women in stand-up - and there are many more now; it's not parity, but it's getting there - is that women are not socialized to look stupid or silly. They're socialized to be pretty and precious.
It would be futile to attempt to fit women into a masculine pattern of attitudes, skills and abilities and disastrous to force them to suppress their specifically female characteristics and abilities by keeping up the pretense that there are no differences between the sexes.
Women's chains have been forged by men, not by anatomy.
Research shows that women at that mid level tend to get promoted based on performance, and men tend to get promoted based on potential.
We have to make sure that women's issues are an essential element on the agendas of all heads of state, all governments.
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