The Glass Wall

Forget the glass ceiling - there's also a glass wall dividing men and women in the workplace, separating them in terms of career success. In this ten-year anniversary edition of the bestselling book, the authors look at what has changed for women in the workplace since 2016. Spoiler alert - not a lot.

The Glass Wall is a pragmatic guide to success for women at work. Since the first edition was published, whilst there has been some meaningful progress, in some areas, things have gone into reverse.

In this 10th anniversary edition, the authors examine the latest research and gauge whether things have improved or not for women at work since the #MeToo movement and the global pandemic caused seismic change. Every week brings new headlines that cause unease as much as reason to celebrate. Harvey Weinstein's conviction for rape was overturned in a New York court; from a shortlist of three, PWC partners picked the only male candidate to be their UK leader, with this being the only time that women had been in contention for that role; a 2024 report by the Treasury Committee found that women in the city are still subject to shocking levels of "sexual harassment and bullying". Meanwhile generative AI is sustaining stereotyped images and exacerbating inequity.

In terms of real power, both in government and at work, things haven't changed enough. Debates about the pros and cons of remote and hybrid working continue to impact women and their careers. More companies offer parental leave to new parents, but most of it is still taken by mothers rather than fathers. The new debate around menopause at work is positive, unless it becomes another stick to keep women down.

The Glass Wall, 10th Anniversary Edition helps new groups of women to navigate the workplace, make their lives happier, and empower real change.