Double Bind: Women of Color in Business Leadership

This paper argues that women of color are underrepresented in business leadership because of the unique and shifting standards by which they are evaluated. I seek to explain the relative lack of minority women in business leadership by examining various forms and theories of gender bias, and how such bias affects women of color who share several minority-related identity markers–race/ethnicity, immigration status, class or family of origin and language. After examining various theories of gender bias, I turn to possible strategies for disrupting and combating bias. These strategies include individual steps for supporting the promotion of minority women into leadership positions, as well as broader, structural changes that might reduce workplace barriers that women of color face.