Restricted Ambitions: Analyzing Barriers to Women's Advancement in Serbia's Public Sector

This paper explores the “sticky floor” phenomenon that hinders women's career progression in the public sector in Serbia. This little-researched concept impedes the career path of women, especially in the early stages of their careers. The paper applied a theoretical review and quantitative analysis based on a survey of 100 employees in the public sector in Serbia, with the aim of investigating specific challenges such as a lack of support in career development, the elimination of social stereotypes, and better business-private life coordination. The research used a validated instrument from previous studies to develop the questionnaire, whereas the chi-square test of independence and cross-tabulation analysis were used for data analysis. Women reported a higher incidence of challenges related to lack of mentorship, difficulties in balancing work and family responsibilities, societal stereotypes, and gender-based discrimination. The goal of the research is to identify factors that hinder women's advancement and better understand the paths to success. Also, it has been investigated how possible it is to overcome all the obstacles mentioned. The study proposes relevant recommendations and new policies, including various education programs on workplace bias awareness development, better support programs, and more flexible working conditions in order to break down the barriers of the "sticky floor" and promote a more inclusive environment for the advancement of women in the public sector in Serbia. This research will allow us to understand better the challenges in women’s career development as well as to encourage a more supportive work environment.