The “glass ceiling” is a metaphor for the invisible challenges. It stands to keep women away from achieving the greatest levels of success. Our world has made much progress with advancements and technologies. But still, many women around the world are facing barriers like limited opportunity, gender bias, and unequal salaries. In this patriarchal society, invisible barriers remain for women in male-dominated domains. Yet, many women have broken the glass ceiling. They achieved greater success through their passion, vision,n, and potential. They inspire women around the world that these existing barriers can be broken.
Now I will mention five women who have challenged gender stereotypes and broken the glass ceiling.
- Irene Rosenfeld:
Irene Rosenfeld is an icon in the world of business. She used to be Mondelēz International’s CEO. She graduated from Cornell University. She got her degrees in statistics, marketing, and psychology. She held executive positions at Kraft Foods and Frito-Lay. She made crucial improvements at Kraft. She divided Kraft into two businesses and then bought Cadbury. This led to the creation of Mondelēz International and Kraft Heinz. Under her direction, Mondelēz became renowned as a global snack leader. By shattering stereotypes in a male-dominated field, Rosenfeld motivated women.
- Ursula Burns:
Ursula M. Burns was the first Black woman to achieve a Fortune 500 firm leadership position. In 2009, she was appointed CEO of Xerox. She was born in a housing project in New York City. She graduated from Columbia University and NYU. She got her degree in engineering. She began her career at Xerox as an intern. She got promoted for her excellent performance. As CEO, she changed the company’s focus from manufacturing to services. Many are inspired by her journey. She demonstrated that any obstacle can be overcome with dedication and hard work.
- Cynthia Carroll :
Cynthia Carroll made history as the first female CEO of the international mining giant Anglo-American. She earned an MBA from Harvard and studied geology. She was named CEO of Anglo-American in 2007. Carroll focused on improving mine working conditions and safety. Her leadership paved the way for new industry standards. As a female in a male-dominated field, she was an inspiration to many women.
- Indra Nooyi :
A creative business leader is Indra Nooyi. She was the chief executive officer of PepsiCo from 2006 to 2018. She was born in India. She traveled to the United States to study at Yale University. Nooyi led PepsiCo’s growth as CEO by emphasizing sustainability. Additionally, she expanded the company’s reach into poorer countries. One of the rare people of color in leadership of a multinational corporation was Nooyi. Many women were inspired by her leadership and vision.
- Kalpana Chowla:
Kalpana Chowla is an iconic persona. She was the first Indian woman to travel into space. She was born in Karnal, India in 1962. She got her degree in aeronautical engineering. She joined NASA in 1995. She flew in space for the first time on the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997. Sadly, her space shuttle exploded due to technical issues. Thus she tragically lost her life in 2003. Her story inspires millions.
Their experiences serve as a reminder to break barriers. They inspire people to achieve their goals and push the boundaries.
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Writer,
Ummay Tasnim Sifat
Intern,
Content Writing Department
YSSE.