CLEW'D IN February 2018

Abstract

Unequal pay and sexual harassment are two examples of the persistence of gender inequalities, over 40 years since the emergence of second wave feminism and the passing of Equal Pay legislation. Although many formal and structural impediments have been removed, informal, subtle and sometimes covert barriers to women's advancement still exist. For instance in the public sector, women report less favourably on experience of cooperation, communication and recognition at work (Bryson et al., 2014). This study looks at barriers to women's career advancement in banking organisations. These organisations depend strongly on their reputations and brands, have ethical and practical reasons to value gender equity, and often promote their apparent equity and diversity. They also usually have sophisticated pro-equity human resources management practices. Social factors and informal networks, however, limit their effectivenes and are arguably the primary barriers to career advancement (Thareno, 2001). In this article, based on interviews with thirteen senior women in the New Zealand banking sector in New Zealand, we report on perceived barriers, and explain the durability of these barriers despite progressive organisational actions and initiatives. These results are a summary - participant's experiences varied. The co-operation of the banking sector and the women in this study is greatly appreciated. Hopefully it will encourage other sectors to be so reflective.