You don't hear as much about the glass ceiling anymore. It seems that women have taken on the responsibility for not getting to the top positions in corporate America. Sure there are still the softer, subtler but pervasive barriers to advancement but it seems that fast tracking - presuming women are willing to give it their all -- is the key to getting that top position. Unfortunately it is such barriers that are keeping the economy from growing to its full potential. Let's say that women are willing to sacrifice their career advancement for a time. What is to prevent a full return to the fast track? Perhaps there is a way. Many women find that when they are ready to reenter the workforce full time and full bore, they are relegated to lower level positions. Although it is a rough road, there are plenty of women who have been successful at climbing back up the corporate ladder from this lower rung. I have clients who have negotiated high profile (but low paying) good for the company/department positions by promising to return to full time eventually. Their management bought into the investment for the short term and were paid back in time. Of course, these women never really caught up in the earnings bucket but they are ok with that. It is a little like compounding in your IRA. If you take a loan out against your IRA, it will be tough to make up the earnings you have foregone. Given that women make up over 50% of the job market, of course it is good for the economy to consider the needs of women in the workforce. The myth that you could have it all or do it all gave way to take your choice -- work or family. The time is right for another correction in the job market. It isn't fair to say that the imbalance is the men's fault, the glass ceiling or women's lack of dedication that makes it so hard to balance work and family. What is called for is a mapping of what businesses can do to attract and retain the best talent and a chance for individuals to assess how they can work at various junctures in their careers.