Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling: Implications of Gender Equality for Corporate Performance and Sustainability in the European Union

Gender equality is essential, serving not only as a fundamental prerequisite for the advancement of social justice, but also as the foundation for fairness in decision-making areas, where economic and political determinations will ultimately impact society as a whole. The thesis examines the role and effects of the glass ceiling phenomenon, an unacknowledged barrier preventing the advancement of women in their professions, especially as it regards managerial and executive-level positions. This analysis will be helpful to determine companies’ weaknesses as it concerns gender parity and corporate social responsibility, in order for institutions to assess wherein they should intervene more. Moreover, this study focuses on the analysis of diverse gender equality indices in the European Union, as well as on the central role that women’s presence in businesses plays in shaping corporate sustainability practices. The paper takes into account existing research and articles concerning board gender diversity, women’s challenges in ascending to leadership positions and various factors feeding the stereotypes. Some of these documents belong to grey literature, such as ESG reports, findings obtained through the glass ceiling index created by The Economist, and EU statistics on gender balance in corporate boards. By enlightening the unfavourable consequences of the glass ceiling phenomenon, and by showing findings that back up the role of gender equality in building a strong company, this thesis finally displays the positive correlation between women’s presence in the workforce and companies’ performances, encompassing both sustainability and financial aspects.