Women hit barriers in banking industry

Nearly half of women employed in the banking sector said barriers at work hindered their career, according to a report from the Institute of Leadership and Management.

The research reveals a mix of cultural and organisational barriers that make it progressively difficult for women to rise to senior levels within banking.

The biggest barriers to female career progression were, according to the women respondents: the attitudes of senior male managers (72%); the greater proportion of men in senior roles (70%); and the current organisational culture (61%). Women in banking were also critical of the lack of flexible working opportunities (56%) and the lack of female role models (41%).

Analysis of male and female respondents show that the higher up the management hierarchy, the more visible these barriers are for women and the less visible they become for men.