Over the weekend, I joined a panel discussion organised by a group of African students, focusing on pragmatic steps being taken by various governments around the world to empower women. The conversation also explored how these initiatives are positioning women to make meaningful contributions in society and overall, national development. Throughout the engagement, one word that was widely used was “sticky floor”.
A few of the students shared their divergent views on the concept of “sticky floor” and cited examples in everyday life; from their classrooms to the corporate world. In general, “sticky floor” describes barriers that keep many women concentrated in low paying, low-mobility jobs, limiting their chances to move upward. It is closely related to, but distinct from the glass ceiling. While the glass ceiling blocks advancement near the top, sticky floors operate at the bottom.
So, how does sticky floor affect women? Generally, women have been overrepresented in roles that tend to have lower wages, fewer promotion pathways as well as less job security and benefits. These jobs range from caregiving and service work. This is not just about individual choice, rather it is shaped by social expectations, workplace bias and limited access to education or training in higher-paying fields.
Women today are overcoming the sticky floor and the shift is coming from several reinforcing trends including greater access to education and skills. Women are now surpassing men in many higher education metrics around the world. In addition, more women are entering fields like law, medicine, and historically male-dominated sectors like tech and finance. This can partly be attributed to online learning and certifications, which are making career transitions more accessible.
Moreover, there has also been an overwhelming workplace policy changes resulting in these great milestones. Organizations are slowly adopting policies that reduce “stickiness,” such as paid parental leave, flexible work arrangements and pay transparency laws. These are helping more women stay in the workforce and pursue more advancement now. This is coupled with the rise of remote and flexible work.
In March 2020, the world fundamentally changed as the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic, leading to widespread lockdowns, stock market crashes, and travel bans. Remote work accelerated after COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in reduced geographic constraints, made it easier to balance work and caregiving, and opened access to higher-paying jobs regardless of location. Though not perfect, it has removed some structural barriers.
Advocacy and cultural shifts birthed initiatives and movements that exposed workplace discrimination and harassment, pushed organizations to improve accountability and strengthened conversations about equity and inclusion, creating more awareness of wage gaps and career stagnation.
There is now the concept of leveraging on collective action and technology with the creation of supportive networks. Women are building communities to share experiences and strategies for advancement, such as the Women in Tech community as well as utilizing AI and development tools: New technologies and tailored development programs are being used to identify competency gaps and provide training that was previously inaccessible to women in lower-level roles. More women are engaging in entrepreneurship and alternative paths by starting businesses, freelancing or joining the gig economy and building income streams outside traditional corporate ladders. This often allows them to bypass some of the structural limits of traditional workplaces.
While progress is real, sticky floors have not disappeared completely. Women are still overrepresented in lower-paid sectors globally, care responsibilities still fall disproportionately on women and advancement can be slower for women of color or those from lower-income backgrounds. Hence, it will be more accurate to say the “floor is getting less sticky,” rather than gone.
“The today Women” are actively dismantling internal barriers like perfectionism, fear, and the perfectionist mentality that leads to holding themselves back. They are learning to amplify their voices, document their achievements, and actively showcase their value, rather than waiting for work to be recognized. Women are breaking free from the societal expectation that they must take on supporting, nurturing, or administrative roles rather than leadership roles, particularly in male-dominated fields
About Author – Harriet Ama Bampoe
Harriet Ama Bampoe wears several hats, with a decade of experience across several fields; Strategic Communications, Freelance Journalism, Digital and Social Media Marketing, Monitoring & Evaluation. She has a proven record in Effective Team, Project Management and Business Development.
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