Tearing down the “glass ceiling” has been a major goal for feminists, and this could be achieved faster than you’d think. The glass ceiling is the unseen barrier that has prevented many women from advancing in the workplace, even if they are one of the more qualified candidates. Millions of women in the United States are working their way up and filling many positions in management. The millennial generation of those born between the early 1980s and early 2000s could be the generation that breaks the glass ceiling.
There was once a time when it was difficult for women to get an entry-level position, but over the decades, younger generations have made advancements in gender equality in the workplace. Now, women occupy almost 52% of all professional-level jobs in the United States according to the Center for American Progress. This is likely the case because women hold almost 60% of all undergraduate and master’s degrees.
It’s obvious that women have made huge advancements by filling the workforce, but are they making progress when it comes to getting promoted? According to Catalyst, the percentage of women holding Fortune 500 board seats increased from 9.6% to 16.9% from 1995 through 2013. In less than 20 years, the percentage close to doubled. If the percentages like these continue to increase at the same rate or more now that millennials are taking over the job market, we could reach workplace equality in the next 20 to 25 years.
All semi-recent generations have seen an increase in this sort of equality, but there’s something that makes the millennial generation stand out. Millennials have grown up learning through the school system about the importance of gender quality by highlighting historical moments in the women’s rights movement.
The high diversity of millennials has also helped shape their ideas of equality. According to the United States Census Bureau, millennials are the most diverse generation in history, with 44.2% of their population being a member of a minority race. By growing up with diverse groups, it becomes easier to understand equality and its importance.
Millennials are still going to need more time before a larger number of them will have been a part of the workforce long enough to work their way up. When they do reach that point, it’s likely that the percentages of men and women in upper-management positions will be close to a 50-50 split. For now, some women will sadly get blocked by the glass ceiling, but we are on the cusp of ending this inequality forever.
