Women are often victims of a glass ceiling, and face numerous obstacles in reaching the highest positions in most companies. In two tea and energy production companies with a diversity policy, our study shows that, in addition to obstacles linked to the organization's policy, barriers persist at individual level, but also at the level of organizational culture. Based on research carried out on human capital, we highlight three dimensions of career development: personal factors, family organization and organizational context. The study is based on survey questionnaires and in-depth interviews focusing on the career analysis and reactions of seven 6 female managers and 5 female co-workers from these companies, specifying the factors that enabled them to progress, but also the obstacles they encountered.