The Evolution Of The Glass Ceiling From 1920 To 2026

Due to bias and unethical hiring practices, women are still struggling to gain and maintain equal rights, pay, opportunities, and status. These iniquities don’t just appear in the workforce. The iniquities bleed over into home life, politics, and upward mobility in education and career opportunities in leadership roles. This invisible, but very real, collective obstacle is often referred to as the glass ceiling.

Throughout U.S. history, the glass ceiling has shifted in position. The shift is granting more movement on the ladder, but ultimately, the glass ceiling has yet to shatter completely. The women’s rights movement is typically sectioned into three waves: political, economic, and social. Let’s take a look at what the women’s rights movement has accomplished over the last one hundred years.

The first wave of women’s rights is political rights. This wave is considered the first real political movement for the Western world. This historical milestone sparked the first movement of the glass ceiling. The results equate to more representation for women in the world of politics.

Women’s Suffrage

The 1920s marked the moment when women (white women) were allowed to vote. This milestone started the wave of mobility and traction we see today. But it did not stop there.

Visibility in Government and Corporate

The 1930’s ushered in several more milestones. Some of these include the first woman to be elected to the US Senate, Hattie Wyatt Caraway. Another, the first American woman to serve as director of a major corporation, was Lettie Pate Whitehead. As well as being the first woman to serve on a U.S. Presidential Cabinet, Frances Perkins was the Labor Secretary.

The second wave of the women’s rights movement continued its work, focusing on issues of equality and discrimination.

Equal Employment Rights

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to make employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about a person’s abilities, traits, or performance because of their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), this moment in history marks the beginning of an upward trend of more women professionals participating in the workforce.

The study emphasizes that despite overall increases in participation rates for women in occupations, barriers to entry may still exist. In 2013, women represented 53.2 percent of Professionals, while they made up only 38.6 percent of Officials and Managers. This data reinforces that although progress has been made, there still is a glass ceiling for women in the workplace.

Equal Credit Opportunity Act 1974

One monumental moment in the women’s rights movement that certainly moved the glass ceiling was the right for women not to be discriminated against for loans and other banking opportunities. Prior to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, a woman needed a man to co-sign for loans and bank accounts.

Dismantling gender norms and gaining social rights are freedoms that categorize the third wave. Before this wave, the glass ceiling was lower in terms of equality in sports, high-ranking power, and the recognition of acts of violence.

Violence Against Women Act 1994

The Violence Against Women Act funds services for victims of rape and domestic violence, allows women to seek civil rights remedies for gender-related crimes, provides training to increase police and court officials’ sensitivity, and creates a national 24-hour hotline for battered women.

The White House

The third wave of the women’s rights movement has brought us huge historical moments, such as when Madeleine Albright was sworn in as U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice became the first black female Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton secured the presidential nomination for the Democratic Party, and Kamala Harris marked history when she was sworn in as the 49th U.S. vice president.

Thanks to the hard work of the women of yesterday, the women of today have more height on the metaphoric ladder. Feminism, a belief in the political, economic, and cultural equality of women, has pushed the glass ceiling to new heights. It is important not to forget all the seeds planted by the women’s rights movement. The women before us worked hard. We have to remember to water the seeds and nurture them for the women to come after us.