Tests and Trials
With the request of the researcher during the interviews, many of these highly
successful women candidly and generously shared unpleasant experiences. The purpose was
to reveal the kind of difficult situations they had encountered so that a deeper understanding
of what it took for people like them to succeed can be gained. As suggested by the title, the
second major theme addresses difficulties or problems reported by the informants. These four
sub-themes depict the various large and small tribulations with which the respondents had to
deal: (a) obstacles in equal treatment and advancement, (b) skepticism and resistance, (c)
political and financial struggles, and d) family and personal issues.