IntroductionWrith noted that although women are increasingly active in economic activities, they are still underrepresented when it comes to management positions. He supported this argument by pointing out that 40% of the workforce is made up of women. However, when it comes to top management positions; only 20% are women (Writh 2001). This is the result of a number of obstacles that prevent women from functioning effectively. Family responsibilities and stereotypes that have led to gender discrimination are perhaps the most notable factors. Despite this negativity, women can still perform exceptionally well as senior executives; especially if effective initiatives are undertaken to reconcile work and private life. Family Responsibilities Family responsibilities, such as childbearing, rearing, and other common household tasks that have traditionally been entrusted to women, play a major role in hindering their professional progress. These responsibilities reduce women's competitiveness by adding to them other unpaid responsibilities that men typically do not face (Writh 2001; Adler & Izraeli 1994). This has had profound effects on women's ability to pursue their career ambitions. Likewise, most employers have come to perceive women as incapable of giving their full attention to their jobs. In fact, evidence highlights that women drop out of the workforce and/or take part-time jobs at higher rates than men, in an attempt to balance between paid (employment) and unpaid (family responsibilities) work (Kochanowski 2009) . Based on Kochanowski's (2009) argument, this inability of women to consistently participate in their careers without interrupting themselves to attend to other family responsibilities prevents them from acquiring the necessary skills and experience... middle of paper... .Erlbaum,New Jersey.Kraiser, G 2009, Analyzing Workplace Sex Segregation, McGraw-Hill, NewDelhi.Metz, S & Desile 2007, 'Managing the Diverse Workforce: Gender Discrimination is an Important Issue', The Public Forum Journal, vol. 5, no. 12, pp 34-60. Mullins, L.J. 2005, Management and Organizational Behavior (7th ed), Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Moss, N 2002, 'Choosing between family and career advancement: difficult decisions facing women' Gender Management Journal, vol. 12, no. 20, pp 142-58.Smith, L & Collen 2007, Work-life balance and productivity, Rutledge, London.Shapiro, L & Worcester, S 2008, Gender differences in personality and leadership traits: a review for business leaders, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.Wirth, L 2001, Breaking the glass ceiling; Women in management, International Labor Office, Geneva.