Glass Ceiling
The "glass ceiling" phenomenon still affects women in most private sector industries. In 1995, the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission issued its report on the employment of women at the highest levels of business finding that within Fortune 1000 industrial and Fortune 500 companies, 95-97% of senior managers are male. The report found numerous obstacles to the advancement of women in business, including inadequate outreach and recruitment practices, lack of mentoring opportunities, and the placement of women in positions within corporations where they are less likely to gain the necessary experience and contacts for advancement.
The glass ceiling phenomenon is often not limited to a single individual. If women cannot rise to the upper management levels of a company because of a glass ceiling, then all women in the company are being discriminated against. Glass ceiling cases are generally proven through the use of statistics, and in most cases there is potential for a class action on behalf of all women in the company.