Is the glass ceiling real?

A glass ceiling is a metaphor usually applied to women, used to represent an invisible barrier that prevents a given demographic from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy.[1] No matter how invisible the glass ceiling is expressed, it is actually a difficult obstacle to overcome.[2] The metaphor was first used by feminists in reference to barriers in the careers of high-achieving women.[3][4] It was coined by Marilyn Loden during a speech in 1978. In the United States, the concept is sometimes extended to refer to racial inequality in the United States.[3][9] Minority women in white-majority countries often find the most difficulty in "breaking the glass ceiling" because they lie at the intersection of two historically marginalized groups: women and people of color.[10] East Asian and East Asian American news outlets have coined the term "bamboo ceiling" to refer to the obstacles that all East Asian Americans face in advancing their careers.[11][12] Similarly, a multitude of barriers that refugees and asylum seekers face in their search for meaningful employment is referred to as canvas ceiling.

While it is not real as a physical object, it is considered real metaphorically, as it represents an invisible barrier that hinder women from rising beyond a certain organizational or societal hierarchy.