Glass Walls: Breaking Down Barriers to Gender Equity at Work and Beyond - with Amy Diehl.

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free to contact me! Amy co-authored the book Glass Walls:
Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at
Work, in which she and Dr. Leanne Dzubinski define and name the
subtle (and not so subtle) ways bias persists in professional
environments. We dive into how exclusion, undervaluation, and
male-centered design play out not just in workplaces but also in
mobility systems – and how both women advocate for a future that is
safer, fairer, and more inclusive for all. Episode Timeline &
Highlights: Introduction & Shared Mission Katja and Amy reflect
on meeting via social media and their shared values. “Sometimes I
feel like I’ve met my long-lost cousin from Germany.” – Amy Gender
Bias in Tech & Autonomous Systems Amy discusses how tech,
especially AI and autonomous vehicles, often fails to represent or
serve everyone equally due to non-diverse development teams. “We
need everyone at the table – pregnant women, children, people with
disabilities – so tech works for everyone.” Feminism vs. Equalism
Amy explains why she now calls herself an equalist, advocating for
equity across all identities – gender, race, health, ability, age.
The Six Glass Walls: Structural Barriers Women Face Amy outlines
the six key biases from her book with real-world examples that
resonate far beyond the workplace: - Male Privilege “Workplaces
were made by men, for men – and that’s still true today.” -
Disproportionate Constraints From career paths to muted voices and
“he-peating,” women’s options are still systematically narrowed. -
Insufficient Support “If business decisions are made on the golf
course, women will never be in the room.” - Devaluation
Undervaluation of care work, unequal pay, and credibility deficit:
“They ask the man next to you if you’re right – even when you just
said it yourself.” - Hostility Both from men and sometimes other
women (queen bee or mean girl behavior). “When it comes from
another woman, it hurts even more.” - Acquiescence When women
withdraw – not out of weakness, but from exhaustion: “It’s not a
failure; it’s a rational choice for survival in a broken system.”
New Book Preview: Excuses, Excuses Amy previews her upcoming book
focused on the excuses women constantly face: too young, too old,
too emotional, too ambitious… “There’s no sweet spot for women –
the excuse is always that she’s a woman in the first place.” The
Business Case for Inclusion Amy highlights real-world success
stories, like U.S. retailer Costco, which maintained its DEI
commitment despite political backlash – and saw rising profits.
“Why wouldn’t we want diverse teams if we serve diverse people?”
Why This Episode Matters: Brings structure and clarity to systemic
gender bias Connects mobility, tech, and gender equity in an
accessible way Offers practical insight, compassion, and solutions
– not just critique Equally relevant for women, allies, managers,
policymakers, and anyone working for change