Shattering the Glass Ceiling STILL SEEKING A GLASS SLIPPER

LEAN BACK in your chair and look up—the ceiling is opaque, isn’t it? At least it is for most of us mere men. I would like to play for the Celtics, run the software division at IBM, write eighty best-sellers like Agatha Christie, be elected to the Senate like Barbara Mikulski, summon God and make Him come like Leanne Payne. I would like to be able to debate, write numberless books, and lead national movements to victory, as Phyllis Schlafly does, while raising five children. I ogle upward at these paragons and am baffled. I do not have the slightest idea how they do it. The ceiling is not glass.

Actually, I think the problem is that for the feminists, the ceiling is a mirror. They look up at the pinnacles of the economy and see themselves in power. The fact is that in a competitive economy, nearly all high-level jobs demand singular gifts, special experience, high ambition, bold willingness to take risks. For a particular slot, there is usually not a broad selection of people available. Often, judging from my experience with small hightechnology businesses, there is no one available of either sex. Headhunters earn thousands of dollars by delivering one suitable head. And each year, these high-tech firms account for a larger share of total U.S. employment.

About the Author

George Gilder

Mr. Gilder is a founder of the Discovery Institute, a venture capitalist, and the author of 15 books, including The Israel Test.

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LEAN BACK in your chair and look up—the ceiling is opaque, isn’t it? At least it is for most of us mere men. I would like to play for the Celtics, run the software division at IBM, write eighty best-sellers like Agatha Christie, be elected to the Senate like Barbara Mikulski, summon God and make Him come like Leanne Payne. I would like to be able to debate, write numberless books, and lead national movements to victory, as Phyllis Schlafly does, while raising five children. I ogle upward at these paragons and am baffled. I do not have the slightest idea how they do it. The ceiling is not glass.

Actually, I think the problem is that for the feminists, the ceiling is a mirror. They look up at the pinnacles of the economy and see themselves in power. The fact is that in a competitive economy, nearly all high-level jobs demand singular gifts, special experience, high ambition, bold willingness to take risks. For a particular slot, there is usually not a broad selection of people available. Often, judging from my experience with small hightechnology businesses, there is no one available of either sex. Headhunters earn thousands of dollars by delivering one suitable head. And each year, these high-tech firms account for a larger share of total U.S. employment.