2020 has brought a lot of firsts for women. In addition to Kamala Harris breaking ground as the first female vice president-elect, Biden appointees Avril Haines and Janet Yellen will likely be the first women to lead national intelligence and treasury. And when Kim Ng was named the next general manager of the Miami Marlins baseball team, she became the first female general manager of a Major League Baseball team and the highest-ranking woman in baseball history.
There’s an assumption that the mere presence of trailblazers like these in leadership positions long held by men will automatically break the glass ceiling, making it easier for future women to obtain those positions.