The expression “breaking barriers” stems from the “glass ceiling” metaphor, referring to the invisible obstacles that prevent women, and sometimes other minorities, from advancing to leadership positions within organisations. Beyond its widely understood meaning, what’s most remarkable is that its origin dates back to 1978, when a young Marilyn Loden first used this term at a business conference for women. Forty-seven years have passed since then, and today, we can affirm that breaking these ceilings—be they glass, concrete, or even invisible—remains an unresolved issue.
Data shows us that there is still significant progress to be made. According to the latest edition of Deloitte’s “Women in the Boardroom: A Global Perspective” report, women hold less than a quarter of board seats worldwide. The situation is even more acute in sectors where men have traditionally played a more dominant role.
Energy and finance are two such sectors, where female representation remains scarce. Deloitte sources also reveal that globally, women occupy approximately 18% of senior management positions in financial institutions. Without more decisive interventions, this percentage is not expected to exceed 25% by 2031. In the energy sector, according to data from the latest edition of the “Global Summit of Women,” only 26.3% of board members and 18.5% of senior management positions in the 500 largest energy companies are held by women.
Is this a coincidence? No. It’s a consequence of decades of biases, ingrained gender roles, and a lack of gender perspective. This is something I’ve become even more aware of since becoming a mother, because it is often in motherhood that inequalities become more visible: the expectations, the imposed renunciations, the invisible burden. And it’s also where the need to build environments in which life and personal decisions do not penalise professional growth becomes evident. And when I speak of “personal decisions,” I refer to any decision, not just those related to motherhood.
Throughout my career, I’ve met women with enormous potential who didn’t even consider aspiring to senior management roles because they perceived it would mean giving up motherhood, their family, or their well-being. This is a message we urgently need to change. Women, like men, have multiple dimensions, and leading should not be synonymous with personal sacrifice, but with being able to develop fully, autonomously, without having to choose.
This isn’t just about justice or equality. Female presence in decision-making brings tangible value to organisations. McKinsey’s “Diversity wins: How inclusion matters” study concluded that companies with greater gender diversity in their executive teams are 25% more likely to achieve above-average industry returns. The reason is clear: diverse teams better tackle complexity, offer broader perspectives, and generate more innovative solutions.
One of the biggest challenges women face is the lack of visible role models. How can one imagine oneself in a place where no one similar has ever been seen to arrive? Role models like Christine Lagarde in banking (President of the European Central Bank) or Damilola Ogunbiyi in the energy sector (CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy) are real examples that it is possible to lead by being different. Making their achievements visible, along with those of countless other professionals at various levels of responsibility, is key to building more diverse aspirations.
Sheryl Sandberg, for me, is one of those role models. Reading her book “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead” inspired me, challenged me, and, above all, empowered me. My copy of the book is full of underlined phrases, dog-eared pages, and ideas that resonated deeply with me. It was a read that not only gave me tools but also made me feel supported in my ambitions and challenges. Because sometimes, all we need is for someone to tell us, with honesty and courage, that yes, we can.
But change requires more than inspiration. It requires concrete commitments: effective equality plans, bias-blind selection processes, mentorship programmes for young women, and real involvement from senior management to make equity a strategic priority. Above all, we must focus on the new generations, regardless of gender, because it is in them that the possibility of a different future germinates: one in which equality is not a distant goal, but a reality.
“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders,” Sandberg said in “Lean In.” Today, more than ever, we have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to build sectors that not only tolerate diversity but embrace it as a strength. Because equity is not a destination: it is a way forward. And when we advance in unity, there is no ceiling that cannot be broken.
Gisela Moreno, Head of FP&A
