What is the Brass Ceiling?

In the traditionally male-dominated fields of law enforcement and military service, some people use the term “brass ceiling” to describe the difficulty women have when they try to rise up in the ranks. The term is an obvious reference to the “glass ceiling” of the business world, incorporating the slang term “brass” for high-ranking officials in law enforcement and the military. While women and minorities started to have success in breaking through the glass ceiling in the late 20th century, the brass ceiling continues to be a major obstacle, for a variety of reasons.

In order to surmount the brass ceiling, a woman must often prove herself to be even more capable than her peers, because women are sometimes held to a much higher standard, especially by traditionalists who would prefer not to see women in law enforcement and the armed forces at all. Women who seek long-term careers in the military or in law enforcement are often forced to endure much more than their male counterparts, as in addition to working hard to distinguish themselves, they must also contend with sexism from their employers and coworkers.

Obviously, the brass ceiling is not a problem in every branch of law enforcement or in the military, and many career women enjoy very successful careers with friendly coworkers and employees. However, the problem is pervasive enough that several attempts have been made to enforce equal opportunity employment in these fields, including legislation in congress.

In the military, the issue of the brass ceiling is complicated by the refusal to allow women in certain combat roles. This sometimes means that women do not have the same chances to show that they excel, which may prevent them from rising in the ranks as quickly as they could. A number of rationales are used to keep women out of certain positions in the military, ranging from concerns about unit cohesion to the argument that women are inherently weaker than men, and therefore less suited for combat positions. As the efforts of women in other positions in the military suggest, these arguments are a bit spurious.

Women in law enforcement may not be banned from serving in specific capacities, but they still have to deal with the brass ceiling. It is not uncommon for law enforcement agencies to contain large numbers of former military personnel, who many bring entrenched ideas with them from the military which make advancement challenging for women. The fact that female police chiefs, agency heads, and top-ranking officials are rare suggests that the brass ceiling endures in the law enforcement community despite efforts to encourage more diverse hiring and promotion practices.