ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the obstacles encountered by the interviewed women in their ascent through the organizational ranks in order to gain a better understanding of the collective experiences of women leaders in emerging markets. Social science research provides plenty of evidence suggesting women's experiences of significant barriers that prevent them from achieving workplace equity. The chapter compares the broad concepts identified from the transcripts with the most prevalent barriers reported in the existing literature. Barriers to having or creating beneficial social networks, as well as experiences of lower instrumental value of existing networks, are mentioned by the interviewees. Cultural minorities report experiencing more barriers in their careers and less professional advancement opportunities compared to cultural majorities. Gender-based stereotypes can be sources of a great deal of bias against women in the workplace, resulting in significant barriers to their leadership. The top women leaders report experiencing cultural, age, and racial discrimination.
