The 2020's Most Influential Women to Watch

Old-boy Network:
There are many instances when men gets the managerial
powers in an organization who manages greater numbers
of people, enjoys more freedom of hiring and firing, and
controls the company’s assets directly while women are
deprived of such authorities and powers. It is the “Oldboys”
of the organization that makes all the policy;
where the women are kept virtually absent.
Sex Discrimination:
In a recent survey, working women were asked about the
greatest obstacle they had to overcome to achieve
success; “simply being a woman” was the most frequent
response. In another survey by the Wall Street Journal,
women leaders quoted their most serious obstacle in
their business careers to be “male chauvinism, attitudes
toward a female boss, slow advancement for women, and
the simple fact of being a woman.” These instances are
enough to prove the prevalence of sex discrimination in
the workplace.
Sexual Harassment:
Sexual harassment remains one of the biggest barriers
for women in managerial roles. A corporate environment
that tolerates sexual harassment intimidates and
demoralizes women executives. Even after the adoption
and enforcement of numerous laws against sexual
harassment, women do not feel sufficiently encouraged
and empowered to speak out for fear of compromising
their work.
Benefits of Women in Leadership:
Studies found that inclusion of women in business
leadership has significantly improved such factors as
firm value, financial performance, economic growth,
innovation and social responsiveness and philanthropy.
The additional benefits of women in corporate leadership
include stricter monitoring and supervision and fewer
legal infractions such as fraud and embezzlement. A
better balance among women in leadership positions can
create a more diverse team of leaders with different
perspectives and a greater ability to contribute new ideas
and thus enhancing the profitability. The
transformational leadership style often used by women
tends to be a good option for contemporary
organizations, as it encourages employee morale,
motivation and performance.
Overcoming the Barriers: Strategies
Women’s progress up the corporate ladder is still limited
by the “glass ceiling” despite the myriad of Government
policies and programs which have been introduced to
ensure that their talents and skills are recognized and
accepted.
Women can help themselves to overcome this career
hurdle by:
Acquiring appropriate business skills and know how;
Taking up line‐management positions rather than
management service roles;
Gaining the necessary experience through
“apprenticeship” and “acting positions”;
Seeking career counseling;
Volunteering for leadership and executive positions;
And lastly, acquiring the ability to measure their
operating effectiveness in the workplace.
An awareness of the emergence of new barriers to their
progress is also worth considering. The current
socio‐economic situation is creating different “glass
ceilings” in the form of the downsizing of organizations,
new differentiated and self‐directed career paths, the
advent of the contractual worker, and the care of aged
parents.
Conclusion:
th
Since the latter half of the 20 century, women have
made great paces in increasing their representation in the
work force. However, a considerable gap remains in
achievement of leadership positions across different
fields. Renowned feminist Gloria Steinem stated it best:
“Clearly no one knows what leadership has gone
undiscovered in women.” It is far past time we strive to
find out and finally shatter the glass ceiling.
26 | MAY 2020
www.insightssuccess.com