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The term glass ceiling refers to situations where the advancement of a person within the hierarchy of an organization is limited. This limitation is normally based upon some form of discrimination, most commonly being sexism.

This situation is referred to as a "ceiling" as there is a limitation blocking upward advancement, and "glass" (transparent) because the limitation is not immediately apparent and is normally an unwritten and unofficial policy. The "glass ceiling" is distinguished from formal barriers to advancement, such as education or experience requirements.

The term is often credited as having been originally coined by Carol Hymowitz and Timothy Schellhardt in the March 24, 1986 edition of the Wall Street Journal. However, the term was used prior to that; for instance, it was utilized in a March 1984 Adweek article by Gay Bryant.

The term is most often used to refer to women's access to upper management. Empirical evidence for this pattern in the U.S. is pervasive.^[1] This term is also extended to other groups, including racial or ethnic minorities or based upon the age of employees.

• Glass elevator (or glass escalator) - The rapid promotion of men over women, especially into management, in female-dominated fields such as nursing.
• Glass cliff - A situation wherein someone has been promoted into a risky, difficult job where the chances of failure are higher.
• Celluloid ceiling, referring to the small number of women in top positions in Hollywood, as documented by Lauzen (2002) and others.

• Stained-glass ceiling
• Equal pay for women
• Sexism
• Feminism
• Feminization of poverty
• Equality
• Gender role
• Employment
• Glass cliff
• Masculism

1. ^ David A. Cotter, Joan M. Hermsen, Seth Ovadia, and Reeve Vanneman. "The Glass Ceiling Effect." Social Forces Vol. 80, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp. 655-681.

• Report of the Glass Ceiling Commission (PDF format)
• Read Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Pay Equity
• The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes and On-Screen Employment of Women in the Top 250 Films of 2002

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