By Alexandra Willis
Regenesys Corporate Education closed off #WomensMonth with a live panel discussion of women leaders across various tech fields. The discussion sat on a two-pronged conundrum: while it was inspiring to hear how women are dynamiting through technology in times of polycrisis, the conversation also promulgated critical reflection on sacrifices that have been and are made by women in the interest of progressing and leading.
The discussion was hosted by Regenesys CEO Indherani Reddy, who opened the discussion by asking if patriarchal value systems and norms had stopped them from paving their way forward. Some panellists immediately shook their heads indicating “no” while others paused for a moment and then also indicated the same. Continuing from the unanimous agreement thereof, Reddy expressed that while pervasive sexism and the metaphorical “glass ceiling” informs the experience of women in leadership positions, discourages them from taking on such positions,and, impedes career advancement for women generally, it has not stopped herself or other women. Glass is breakable, it just needs action and reaction.
The Glass Ceiling Phenomenon and Material Realities of Sexism
The “glass ceiling” is a metaphor for the invisible yet firm barrier that prevents women from rising to the highest echelons of corporate leadership irrespective of their accolades, qualifications, skills, and leadership competencies. While women may ascend to mid-level management roles, their representation diminishes significantly at the executive and board levels. While this phenomenon is partly the result of individual career choices, it is influenced by systemic biases and institutional practices that hinder women’s advancement.
Despite significant strides in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) across the world, women are still underrepresented, underpaid, and often discriminated against across industries, including tech. A 2022 report published by McKinsey found that only 86 women are promoted to manager for every 100 men across every industry, but when isolated for tech, that number drops to 52 women for every 100 men.
Moreover, in a recent report by International Data Corporation (IDC), a global market intelligence and data provider for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology market, 54% of men in a surveyed sample in the tech industry indicated they felt it was likely that they’d be promoted to executive management in their company, while only 25% of women said the same. Those women who indicated that they felt they would not be promoted gave reasons of a lack of support, self-confidence, and mentorship, as well as feeling the need to “prove themselves more than men to get promoted.”
Material realties of discrimination perpetuate the intellectually dishonest argument that men are “naturally” more suited for leadership and high-responsibility roles. In the corporate world, this has translated into practices and cultures that favour male employees for promotions, higher salaries, and prestigious assignments, often at the expense of equally or more qualified female colleagues.
Reddy spoke of her experiences of “he-peated”, which is when a man repeats what a woman has offered as an idea or a solution, presents it as his own, and this is then followed by praise upon him. Reddy said that her mentor told her not to let such things slide and advised her to interrupt with “thank you for articulating my idea” and then continue the idea with reasoning backing up the idea or solution. Many nods from the panellists agreeing with Reddy suggested that they too have experiences of “he-peated”. The conversation then turned towards experiences of overt or hostile sexism and how they were dealt with. One speaker gave the example of being told (by a man who had some say in the hiring process of her appointment) that she was “lucky” to have been a “diversity hire” and went on with his sexist discourse in which he implied she was unfit for the postion. Hostile sexism, is supported by benevolent sexism, which you can read about in my article published by the Daily Maverick.
In fighting against these prejudices, a key discussion point at the event was on the importance of “finding your champions” – i.e. people in senior positions (ideally male allies) in the workplace that vouch for and support you. One aspect of the problem of under-representation of women in leadership (generally speaking) is the absence of female role models or mentors for aspiring women leaders. When women do not see others like them in top positions, it can diminish their aspirations and reinforce the concept of a glass ceiling for being unbreakable, but alas, glass is fragile and can be broken.
The Impact of Sexism and Glass Ceilings
The impact of sexism and the glass ceilings for women in corporates is multifaceted at both an individual level and on scale.
On an individual level, women experience diminished job satisfaction, lower self-esteem, and increased stress due to the constant need to prove themselves in a male-dominated environment. These pressures often lead to burnout, a reluctance to pursue higher positions, or even an exit from the corporate world altogether. Women leaders also experience “impostor syndrome” which refers to an internal struggle with a feeling of not belonging in the spaces in which one moves – which comes from being made to feel inferior or “alien” in such spaces by other people. Substantial attention was given to the topic of “imposter syndrome” by the panellists who spoke about how they have overcome it with positive internal dialog as well as from finding their “champions”.
On scale, glass ceilings contributes to the underutilisation of talent within organisations, and, the self-reproducing cycle of gender inequality in the workplace undermines efforts towards social equity and sends a discouraging message to the next generation of women entering the workforce. Moreover, organisations that fail to elevate women to leadership roles miss out on diverse perspectives and innovative ideas that can drive growth and success. Indeed, one panellist extrapolated on the ways in which women bring complex thinking to the boardroom.
Honest critical reflection points on sacrifices made by women to taking on leadership
As inspiring as it was to the hear the panellists speak on how each of them had their own story of breaking their own glass ceilings in their particular contexts, there was also some honest reflections which had inflections of sadness. One panellist spoke about how her approach to work when she was younger was “if this is going to kill me then let it be” working aggressively at the neglect of looking after her health. She disclosed that, now in her later life, she has (stress-related) stage 4 Cancer. She said: “I don’t want young women to make the same mistakes I did.” Taking encouragement from her openness and authenticity, another panellist also expressed regret for putting her everything into her work because she (at guess, now in her mid-50s) is over-run with guilt when her children speak of defining moments in their lives and say to her “but mommy, you weren’t there.” Both these panellists who spoke of the sacrifices they made to get to where they are prompted the reflective question: is it really worth it to give your whole life to a cause or an organisation? And if not, “how does one find the balance between work and all the other facets of human life? One speaker made a point to mention that men are almost never asked variations of the latter.
Breaking the Glass Ceilings: Strategies for Change
Addressing sexism in all its forms and shattering the glass ceilings requires a concerted effort from both organisations and individuals as active members of society.
Key strategies that were discussed by the panellists, include:
- Actively encouraging school-going girls who express interests in STEM fields to pursue their passions, despite society continuing to support boys’ interests in the STEM fields.
- Mentorship: Mentorship and finding your “champions” is generally an informal process of building interpersonal relationships in the workplace, however, official mentorship programmes that pair women with experienced leaders provide guidance, support, and networking opportunities is also critically important.
- Promoting Gender-Equitable Policies: Corporations must implement and enforce policies that promote gender equality in hiring, promotions, and pay. This includes transparent processes for performance evaluations and career progression, as well as measures to prevent and address harassment and discrimination.
- Fostering an Inclusive Corporate Culture Incorporating Gender-allyship : Creating an inclusive environment where diversity is valued and women feel empowered to take on leadership roles is essential. This can be achieved by promoting awareness and training programmes on unconscious bias, as well as by encouraging male allies to support gender equality initiatives, such as the United Nations’ #HeForShe campaign which stands as “an invitation for men and people of all genders to stand in solidarity with women to create a bold, visible and united force for gender equality”. Prominent organisations such as the African Development Bank, as well as famed men such as Prince Harry have openly partnered with #HeForShe. The campaign come organisation has developed gender alliance workshop material that corporates can adapt to their contexts.
Sexism and glass ceilings are deeply entrenched challenges that continue to hinder the progress of women in the corporate world. By implementing systemic changes, fostering inclusive cultures, and supporting women’s career development, corporations can dismantle these barriers and create environments where all its’ people are given opportunities to succeed. The journey towards shattering the glass ceilings is not just a moral imperative but a strategic necessity for organisations that aspire to thrive in an increasingly diverse and competitive global market. Regenesys Corporate Education offers programmes that address the specific challenges women leaders face and harnesses leadership skills. Contact us for more information.
Alexandra Willis is a Skills Writer at Regenesys Corporate Education.
