ABSTRACT
There is ample evidence from around the world that women get a raw deal in business and in the professions when it comes to getting the plum jobs at the top of the organisational tree. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) launched a Gender Initiative in 2010 to examine barriers to gender equality in education, employment and entrepreneurship. The entry of women into politics is one sign that women are feeling more empowered and able to make a difference in the way public policy is formulated. Women are given leadership positions, only to find that then they are not trusted to do the job well and get less favourable evaluations than their male counterparts both inside and outside the organisation in which they work. This prejudice against women in senior executive roles seems to be especially likely to occur when they are regarded as occupying positions that are more suited to men.
