In Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s concession speech during the 2008 US presidential elections, one of the money quotes was on how the highest and hardest glass ceiling is still not shattered, but it now has 18 million cracks in it.

Before I go further, let me just say that the reality is that this is not an issue that can be narrowly defined - there are many perspectives (well beyond the scope of this article) that get into deeper issues around gender and economics, and the various factors at play when it comes to equitable earning power. It’s a multi-layered and complex issue – one without easy answers but certainly worth exploring.

Corporate companies are usually already aware of the need to eliminate these glass ceilings when present. Many implement human resource programmes to nurture more female leaders as well as find ways for women to stay in the workplace when they may have otherwise left due to family responsibilities.

One does wonder about the effectiveness of corporate programmes, and if they could have the opposite effect – making women resent being singled out for special treatment, instead of being assessed on the same level as their male counterparts. Also, are corporate programmes the answer? What can women themselves do to increase their lack numbers in the boardroom? While some women clearly find it difficult to access those higher roles they seek, due to a variety of reasons, are others just less interested in being in top management?

The current playing field is far from level in some industries. A recent study by the International Women’s Media Foundation discovered that women are outnumbered by men in the news and media industry in Asia, as well as in countries like Australia, New Zealand, China, India and Japan, among others. In comparison, the latest Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) found that the status of businesswomen in emerging markets is increasing. While globally women make up just 20% of senior management roles, they make up 35 percent in Hong Kong and 45 percent in Thailand. Interestingly, G7 countries tend to lag behind the global average, with only 16 percent of women holding senior roles, and regionally Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) scores highest with 27 percent. Yet women make up very substantial portions of the overall workforce, especially in developed economies, including in the US (approximately 60%) and the UK (about 50%).

The recent increase in the number of women in management positions in some markets may be due to HR initiatives, both formal and informal, that are designed to drive more women to those roles. Such programmes are commonly found in top global companies, partly because of the need to retain a good public image, and their aim to close the gender gap. With globalisation, more global companies have moved into the emerging markets, bringing their HR programmes with them. The increase could also be due to more women across the world delaying or opting out of childbirth – an occurrence, along with increased education, that is believed to have some impact on women’s presence in the workplace, including in management roles. There are also many more professional associations that support and encourage women’s growth in the workplace, especially at higher levels.

According to an article on HR.BLR.com, part of the BLR Human Resource Network, working women are sometimes so focused their careers – maybe because they’re feeling the need to try that much harder – that they may not be able to regularly lend a hand to their female colleagues. Women-to-women mentor programmes that have specific goals - such as an aim to have a certain number of females in management positions – help convey to female employees that the company appreciates them and cares about their future. Such programmes also need to have flexible deadlines, or companies will simply hire more women for the sake of it, with a diluted view of criteria.

With busy meeting and travel schedules, women currently in senior management roles may find themselves with limited time to mentor other females. But even doing so informally, without an official corporate programme in place, is one way for women at the top to help support and encourage other women in the workplace. Women who want to move up the company ladder while at the same time having children might consider figuring out a way to stay in the workplace, including by talking to their employer about viable options. The mere presence of women at work throughout different stages of their lives could be a first step to increasing their chances of securing the career success they desire. 

Actor and comedian Tina Fey recently wrote an article for The New Yorker on why she is debating whether or not to have a second child. One of reasons she cited was that – being no stranger to the lack of roles in Hollywood for females over a certain age - she would like to remain in a position where she can create opportunities for other women. When you couple that with Kathryn Bigelow’s Best Director win at the 2010 Oscars for The Hurt Locker – the first for a female in Oscar history – you realise there is still a ways to go for women, particular in certain industries. When the terrain is tough for women to navigate, programmes and women themselves helping each other along the way are welcome and sometimes necessary.