Too Beautiful For A Promotion

The recent nominations of Ursula van de Leyen and Christine Lagarde to two of the most powerful positions in the EU have been widely hailed as proof that women are finally conquering the pinnacles of power, be it in politics or boardrooms.

However, as Hilary Cliinton used to repeat as a mantra on the campaign trail, the glass ceiling is still there, and it still does not show enough cracks. According to a study by McKinsey, women are 15% less likely to be promoted, across all organizational levels. While this might not seem a dramatic difference, the researches points out that at this rate it will take more than a century to achieve parity in the most senior positions.

And as if that were not bad enough, new research found that women are judged more negatively by their looks than their male counterparts. In a study reported by Time, it was found that attractive women face serious hurdles when applying for a job. Put differently, the better you look as a woman, the