#glassceiling

‘Empowered’

Work by Adry del Rocio with Carlos Alberto, created earlier this year for Big Art Bigger Change curated by Street Art For Mankind.

“The glass ceiling only exists until you break it,” he says with a finality.  

“You know,” he started again, “it technically isn’t even real.”

“If only you would work hard, you see, then you’d realize that the glass ceiling isn’t glass.”

“You feminist are all the same. Crying about a cap that doesn’t even exist.”

“This reminds me of a very similar situation I once studied. Dogs with sliding glass doors will always hesitate at the door frame because they are unsure if the glass is there or not. They cannot tell the difference, and after running into it so many times, they are ingrained with this fear of the invisible barrier. They will wait until something else passes the threshold before walking in. You women are the dog in this case -because we humans are also just mammals. It is basic science- but you are afraid of this glass that isn’t there.  See, when women really were oppressed- back before you could vote- there was this ‘glass ceiling,’ but it’s gone now! But just like the dog, you have this ingrained fear. You watch others pass in and out of the ‘glass’ but you simply refuse to. So if you would just work harder, you would see that this idea of a ceiling is merely a myth that you created yourself.” He smirked, proud of his explanation.

What he didn’t know was the glass ceiling had once been cement, considered immovable and impenetrable. But a few sledgehammers and Jerricho came crumbling at the feet of women. God works hard, but men work harder. At the first signs of a crack, they had begun sliding this invisible barrier into place slightly above the cement. It was covered under white little lies. 

“You just aren’t as much of a capable leader as...” “As a mother, your time will be divided and we just can’t risk this project, whereas...” “I think your skillset could be valued more in a different line of work. However, we are hiring a secretary.”

Unaffected are men, who will never have to travel the path with an invisible ceiling above their heads. “But it’s the same as ours!” they scream, walking up their golden staircase without fear of ramming their face into “nothing.” As women line the gravel road from hell to ceiling, asking for an easier way. 

“But the glass ceiling only exists until you break it”