This chapter deals with the traditional limitations of women in the workplace and aims to be an introduction to understand the current situation of women in the business world. This chapter contains two sections. The first one briefly explains the barriers that women have historically found to access top business positions. Specifically, we describe the problem concerning the glass ceiling, a term commonly used in gender literature. The second one emphasises the obstacles found by women in entrepreneur activities. Both sections aim to contextualise the discrimination of women in the business sphere, which can serve to comprehend the current situation of gender inequality in corporate governance structures, particularly in the board of directors.