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

she drives mobility

In this powerful episode of She Drives Mobility, I spoke with Dr. Amy Diehl – author, CIO, gender equity researcher, and fierce advocate for inclusive workplaces – and sister from another mister. Together, we explore the structural barriers women face across industries, especially in tech and mobility, and how Amy’s research brings invisible biases into the light.

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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.

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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:

1. Male Privilege “Workplaces were made by men, for men – and that’s still true today.”
2. Disproportionate Constraints
   From career paths to muted voices and “he-peating,” women’s options are still systematically narrowed.
3. Insufficient Support “If business decisions are made on the golf course, women will never be in the room.”
4. 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.”
5. Hostility
   Both from men and sometimes other women (queen bee or mean girl behavior). “When it comes from another woman, it hurts even more.”
6. 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?”

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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