That really depends on where in the world you're assigned and what the culture is in that part of the world.

In the U.S. and many other countries, there are laws aimed to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex, race, national origin, religion, and other factors. Still, it does sometimes happen.

Sadly in this day and age, there are countries that don't offer women the same opportunities as men have. In some countries, such as Japan, a woman has few opportunities for career advancement unless she works for a foreign company or one of the growing number of woman-owned companies. Foreign women in Japan don't have the same barrier - because they are not Japanese, they are perceived to be "different" and therefore not subject to the same "restrictions" on doing business. Non-Japanese women still have some barriers in doing business in Japan, but not as many as Japanese women do.

In some other countries, men refuse to take women seriously in business, which to me is very shortsighted because women can be just as business-savvy, intelligent, and effective as men. Cultures where women are discouraged from having careers are missing out on half of the brainpower of the population.

I hope this helps answer your question. There are many different resources on learning more about how business is conducted around the world - one very useful book is called Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593373686

To your success,

David B. Wright
Author, Get A Job! Your Guide to Making Successful Career Moves
http://www.thegetajobbook.com/
http://jobs.therecruiterslounge.com/