Holding Managerial Positions by Women in the Aspect of Discrimination on the Labor Market

The aim of this article was to assess female managers’ situation and the course of their professional careers in terms of discrimination based on sex. The paper presents the results of empirical research among one hundred and sixty women of all ages in Poland. The “snowball” method had been used for the research. 

The paper shows that there are a lot of factors interact in impeding women’s promotion to better positions. Both the culture and the organizational policies are influenced by gender stereotypes, but, in turn, they contribute to reinforcing these stereotypical beliefs. “Gender” is one the most popular factor contributing to finding a job effectively. It can lead to thinking that professional women are well aware of the facts that if in the recruitment process they would have been put against a man of the same experience and the same professional seniority, they would most likely not get a job due to them being women.

Despite these hardships, the surveyed women still like being who they are, are still keen on starting families, and most of them are ready to juggle professional and private life. The social perception of women and their social roles is slowly but surely progressing. It is crucial to underline that without equality in the labor market, women will never truly and fully unleash their potential.