brass ceiling

The barrier of gender bias that makes it difficult for women in the military to advance through the ranks. A play on the phrase "glass ceiling," which refers to the same difficulty for women in the workplace in general. I can't stand this brass ceiling—if I were a man, I'd be a corporal by now. I worry about my daughter being a woman in the military. The brass ceiling is a very real thing. My mother spent her entire career in the military. Yes, the brass ceiling posed a challenge, but it never deterred her.