????隨便瀏覽過去一年的新聞，都可以看到女性正在取得長足進步：女性受教育程度不斷提高；有些女性成為了IBM、雅虎（Yahoo）等知名公司的CEO；一項廣為傳播的研究顯示女性作為家庭主要收入來源的人數已超過了男性。但是，在美國大公司中，女性擔任最高職務或近最高職務的比例近年來依然持平。

????這是非盈利研究組織Catalyst對《財富》美國500強公司的兩項最新研究得出的結論。從好的方面看，Catalyst首席執行官艾琳?蘭指出，2012年如果在參議院聽證會和其他備受矚目的活動中清一色由男性出席，會有“很多人問：‘女性在哪里？’如今的社會越來越多元化，看到這些權力團體清一色由白人男性組成，讓人感到不安。”

????可能仍然需要一些時間，這種不安才能轉化成實實在在的改變。Catalyst的研究顯示，目前女性在公司董事會中的席位比例為16.6%，2004年以來毫無增長。《財富》美國500強公司的女性高管比例就更低了，僅14.3%，連續三年持平。

????為什么會這樣？談到高管職位，Catalyst的第三個項目或許能提供一些思路。這份名為《好想法，執行不善？女性晉升至熱門職位的人數減少》（Good Intentions, Imperfect Execution? Women Get Fewer of the Hot Jobs Needed to Advance）的報告是系列報告之一，考察了4,000位高潛力MBA（包括男性和女性）的職業發展，比較了男性與女性的晉升之路。

????副標題很能說明問題。結果往往是男性更容易獲得“受人矚目的任務、關鍵職責和國際經驗”，然后一步步走上CEO、COO等最高職務。要想獲得這些熱門職位，一個經過時間驗證的途徑是找到一位有影響力的上層支持者，為晉升鋪平道路。

????另一種可能管用的方式是：跳槽到一家不同的公司。“引人矚目，讓別人知道自己的成績，有助于獲得這樣的經驗，鋪平晉升道路，但有些公司的文化不認可女性這么做，”蘭說。“人們認為，這‘不像淑女’，或者這樣‘太野心勃勃。’因此，要想獲得真正的機會，必須找對企業文化。找一個有女性高管的部門或公司，在那里你能獲得成功的機會。”

????Even a casual glance at the news over the past twelve months suggests that women are making big strides -- better educated than ever, stepping into high-profile CEO slots at companies like IBM (IBM) and Yahoo (YHOO), and, according to one much-publicized study, outnumbering men as the primary breadwinners in their households. Even so, in major U.S. companies, the percentage of women at or near the top has flat-lined.

????That's according to two new surveys of Fortune 500 companies by nonprofit research group Catalyst. On the plus side, notes Catalyst chief Ilene Lang, men-only Senate hearings and other highly visible events in 2012 meant that "so many people started asking, 'Where are the women?' In an increasingly diverse society, people are getting less comfortable with seeing these groups of the powerful who are all white males."

????It may take a while for that discomfort to translate into change. For now, Catalyst's research shows, women's share of corporate board seats, at 16.6%, hasn't grown at all since 2004. The percentage of female executive officers at Fortune 500 companies is even smaller -- 14.3% -- and has remained flat for three straight years.

????Why is that? When it comes to senior executive jobs, a third Catalyst project provides some clues. Entitled Good Intentions, Imperfect Execution? Women Get Fewer of the Hot Jobs Needed to Advance, the report is part of a series that examines the careers of 4,000 high-potential MBAs of both sexes and compares men's advancement with the career trajectories of their female counterparts.

????That subtitle is a mouthful. It turns out that men more often get the kind of "high-profile assignments, mission-critical roles, and international experiences" that typically lead to the C-suite and above. One time-tested path to those hot jobs is finding a sponsor, an influential higher-up who paves the way.

????Another approach that may work: Jump to a different company. "Being visible and making your accomplishments known is essential to getting the kinds of experience that can move you up into senior management, but some corporate cultures penalize women for that," Lang observes. "It's seen as 'not ladylike' or 'too pushy.' So, to get the right opportunities, you have to be in the right culture. Find a division, or a company, where there are already some senior women, and where you'll be allowed to flourish."