Final answer:
The correct term for the invisible barrier hindering women and minorities from reaching top executive roles is the 'glass ceiling,' not the steel curtain, making the statement false. This term depicts the discrimination faced in professional advancement, contrasting with the 'Iron Curtain,' which referred to the geopolitical divide during the Cold War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The metaphor for an invisible barrier preventing women and minorities from being promoted to top executive jobs is actually referred to as the glass ceiling, not the steel curtain. Therefore, the statement provided is false.
The term glass ceiling describes the discriminatory hurdles that women and minorities face within a professional context, hindering them from ascending to the highest levels of leadership in an organization. This concept encompasses the challenges posed by entrenched gender roles, social patterns of discrimination, and internal corporate biases. Despite legal and ethical measures to encourage equity, the representation of women in executive positions remains disproportionately low, indicating the glass ceiling's persistent influence.
Many factors contribute to the perpetuation of the glass ceiling, including stereotypes about gender roles, motherhood, the lack of mentorship, and biases against women's leadership capabilities. This is different from the historical reference related to the Iron Curtain, which was coined by Winston Churchill to describe the geopolitical divide between Communist Eastern Europe and the Western countries during the Cold War. The two terms cover completely different concepts and should not be confused.