This paper mainly aims at investigating the barriers that female Bahraini managers face in their career progression when attempting to reach senior management positions. In addition, this paper seeks to propose practical solutions to overcome the Barriers in women's career progression. To achieve the objectives of the study, qualitative research approach was applied through semi-structured interviews specifically designed to collect primary information from the samples of the study, which consisted of (40) managers (female) working in banks in Bahrain and financial sector. The results showed that autonomy and acquiescence to the norms are the main barriers that female Bahraini managers face in their career progression when attempting to reach senior management positions. As well as, the results illustrated that competence, customs, and self- improvement are practical solutions to overcome the Barriers facing women in career progression.

This paper mainly aims at exploring factors affecting women's career progression in Bahraini banking sector. To achieve the objectives of the study, qualitative research approach was applied through semi-structured interviews specifically designed to collect primary information from(37) female managers working in banks. The collected data was analysed using content analysis. The results showed that organisational, societal, and individual factors had a large impact on women's career progression, where organisational factor includes impeding women from attending leadership training and mentorship programmes, lack of women role models, disempowerment, lack of confidence in women's performance, and bias and discrimination. While, societal factor includes stereotyping, societal norms and perceptions, and clash of cultures. Individual factor includes lack of personality traits, lack of education and mentorship, and hesitation and fear. In light of these results, the researcher recommended that it should be an understanding of the male perception of barriers that impede female career advancement.