13 September 2013 Last updated at 08:33 BST
One woman who has well and truly broken through that ceiling in one of the toughest industries around is Dr Marlene Kanga.
She is the head of Engineers Australia and is in Singapore for a global industry conference.
She spoke to Ali Moore about what inspired her to become an engineer.
The glass ceiling is still a problem for women trying to rise through the leadership ranks in business.