(Men) are scared and threatened that a woman could do something better than a man

Catherine, US

The number of companies with women directors has fallen for the past three years.

And 43 of the country's blue-chip companies listed on the FTSE 100 index do not have any female directors.

We asked BBC News Online readers to tell us what they thought was keeping women out of the top jobs.

Men 'scared'

Marie from England says that in her publishing company, more than three-quarters of the staff are female, but only one of the 15 directors is a woman.

"I think the problem is a mixture of men preferring to hire men, and women lacking the self-confidence to promote themselves aggressively," she says.

Catherine in the US says men are "scared and threatened that a woman could do something better than a man".

And legislation makes little difference according to Pam in the US.

"You can make all the employment laws you want but you cannot change the attitude of the person behind the desk who has the power to 'hire or fire'," she says.

"Having worked for a large international corporation which claims to have 'policies' against such discrimination, they still find all sorts of ways to keep women employees 'under'."

'A matter of risk'

But one reader says it is understandable why some companies are reluctant to appoint women to top positions.

Women are failing to reach the top jobs not because we don't have the talent or ability for it, but because our goals are more holistic and less selfish

Tess, UK

"The more responsibility and the greater the level of work that people today now take on, the less likely senior management are to employ women," says S Barker from the UK.

"There are fewer decision makers in key positions and you are bound to feel less inclined to have someone who may leave to have children in that position unless that person is outstanding.

"It's not a matter of sexism, it's just a matter of risk."

Different values?

Greg Butcher from the Netherlands says he runs several international businesses, and denies that there is any pre-selection bias for top jobs in his companies.

A lack of affordable childcare is seen as one obstacle to women's careers

He says that when recruiting directors they ask candidates if they are prepared to put in the long and often anti-social hours needed for the role.

Many female candidates, he says, decide not to proceed or answer "unfavourably" when quizzed.

"Perhaps the female (candidates) are simply more in balance with life and are following other values which downplay or balance commitment to business," he says.

Tess from the UK says that women do have a different attitude.

"The single-mind pursuit of profit is motivated by greed, which has been a peculiarly male trait from the beginning of time," she says.

"Women are failing to reach the top jobs not because we don't have the talent or ability for it, but because our goals are more holistic and less selfish."

Women block men?

"How about concentrating on jobs where women stop men getting promoted," writes Richard from Wales.

"I currently work in a call centre - my third - all of which have been run by women."

"The managers are women, the team leaders are women, and they all promote... women."

Better childcare needed

A couple of readers say a lack of suitable or affordable childcare is a significant barrier to women's careers in the UK.

Never mind the glass ceiling for women, what about the glass ceiling for those who didn't go to public school?

Chris, England

"If only there was more affordable childcare available in the UK, it would be easy for women to turn the tables on men," says Guy from the UK.

"When my wife returned to work it was only part time as we couldn't afford full time child care."

Sally Harborow from the UK agrees that a rethink is needed.

"I think until corporations recognise they need to support parents of both genders and consider childcare an important part of the employees' package we are going to keep seeing these inequalities," she says.

Wider prejudice

Martin Godwin from England says he agrees that there is a culture which prevents women "at all levels" from being more successful in their careers.

But he adds that this culture "also discriminates against people from non-white ethnic groups, those with a differing sexual persuasion, many who are disabled, and in some companies against those educated in the state education system as well as many other groups."

Chris from England says: "Never mind the glass ceiling for women, what about the glass ceiling for those who didn't go to public school?

"I suggest you look at what percentage of directors got there through that particular old boy network."

John Marshall says the emphasis in the debate is wrong.

"We don't need more women managers... we need better managers," he says.

"If ability were considered instead of gender, ambition and other unimportant attributes, then we would automatically get more women managers."