Arezoo Eshraghi, Zahra Safaeepour

GLASS CEILING AMONG FEMALE PROSTHETISTS & ORTHOTISTS: PERCEPTIONS, OPPORTUNITIES AND STRATEGIES FOR MOVING FORWARD

Introduction

Glass ceiling among female prosthetists & orthotists: perceptions, opportunities and strategies for moving forward. Explores the 'glass ceiling' hindering female prosthetists & orthotists' leadership roles. Examines perceptions, career opportunities, and strategies for work-life balance & mentoring.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The glass ceiling, a metaphorical barrier hindering women’s career advancement, is prevalent across various sectors, including healthcare. Women have proved their competence as successful senior-level leaders. Despite this, there is still a striking under-representation of female prosthetists and orthotists in leadership positions as managers and business owners. This study investigated the "glass ceiling" phenomenon in the prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) field, where women, despite growing representation in the profession, are underrepresented in leadership roles. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the beliefs and expectations of female prosthetists and orthotists regarding career advancement and leadership opportunities. METHODOLOGY: This survey study had two sections; the first section was general demographic questions, and any gender could participate but the second section was the Career Pathways Survey (CPS), which assessed beliefs about the glass ceiling and only female practitioners could participate. The survey evaluated four factors: Denial, Resilience, Acceptance, and Resignation, to understand how women perceive their ability to break through the glass ceiling. All individuals with a professional qualification in prosthetics and/or orthotics were eligible to participate. The survey was distributed worldwide through the ISPO and other professional associations. The survey was opened in April 2021 and remained active for six months. FINDINGS: 110 female participants completed the survey. The participants were mainly from North America, Europe and Australia. Findings revealed that factors like age, marital status, and salary were significant predictors of different belief scores, particularly with respect to career acceptance and denial. Results highlighted that women’s beliefs about their career advancement were influenced by their personal life situations, such as having children, and the number of years of professional experience. CONCLUSION: The study calls for organizational reforms to address gender inequalities by implementing policies that support work-life balance, mentoring, and career development. It also emphasizes the importance of further research, particularly examining the intersectionality of gender, race, and other diversity factors, to provide a comprehensive understanding of barriers to leadership in P&O and other healthcare fields. Layman's Abstract This study looked at the "glass ceiling" in the prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) field, where women are often underrepresented in leadership roles despite increasing participation in the profession. It examined how female P&O professionals perceive their career growth and leadership opportunities. Using a survey, the study collected data on age, marital status, salary, and work-life balance to understand how personal circumstances impact women’s beliefs about career advancement. This survey study had two sections; the first section was general demographic questions and any gender could participate but the second section was the Career Pathways Survey, which assessed beliefs about the glass ceiling and only female practitioners could participate. The survey was opened in April 2021 and remained active for six months. 110 female participants completed the survey. The participants were mainly from North America, Europe and Australia. The findings suggested that factors, such as having children or years of experience, influenced how women view their ability to break through the glass ceiling. The study recommends that organizations implement policies supporting work-life balance, mentoring, and career development, and calls for further research into how gender, race, and other diversity factors affect leadership opportunities in healthcare. Article PDF Link: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/article/view/44720/33990 How To Cite: Eshraghi A, Safaeepour Z. Glass ceiling among female prosthetists & orthotists: Perceptions, opportunities and strategies for moving forward. Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal. 2025; Volume 8, Issue 1, No. 6. Https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v8i1.44720 Corresponding Author: Arezoo Eshraghi, PhD, CP(c)Affiliation: West Park Healthcare Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.E-Mail: Arezoo.eshraghi@uhn.caORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1525-8093

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