Glass Ceiling Essay ⋆ Political Science Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

The glass ceiling is a metaphor for the range of unofficial and artificial barriers that stop otherwise qualified individuals from obtaining promotions or top positions within an organization. These obstacles are usually not apparent or formal, hence the reference to a “glass” barrier. The concept was popularized in the 1980s and applied to the business sector, and wages in particular, following successive studies that revealed that men continued to dominate senior positions and earn, on average, higher salaries than women for comparable work. Since the term gained popularity over two decades ago, responses to economic glass ceilings have included attempts to diminish the wage gap through affirmative action legislation and both formal and informal quota systems, but inequity in both wage and opportunity is still among the most pervasive of contemporary social and political issues.

Within political systems, glass ceilings have prevented women and minority groups from obtaining elected office or governmental posts, even though legislation may exist that formally bans overt discrimination. In practice, a glass ceiling may exist within political parties and manifest itself in the selection of candidates to run for political office. It may also impact the selection of party or legislative leaders.

There have been a variety of responses to the phenomenon. Some systems require that political parties have a certain percentage of women or minority candidates. For instance, France requires that 50 percent of a party’s candidates be women and India’s INC (Indian National Congress) party maintains a 15 percent quota for female candidates, while Afghanistan’s constitution ensures that 27 percent of seats in the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House) and 17 percent of seats in the Meshrano Jirga (House of Elders) are occupied by women. Other systems, including that of the United States, concentrate on enforcement of antidiscrimination laws.

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