Anna and ben are up for the same promotion at work. when it comes time to make a decision, the management committee chooses ben for the position because they think anna's commitment to being a good mother to her children would prevent her from wanting to take on more responsibilities at the office. anna has just encountered what

I believe that Anna has just encountered a glass ceiling.

This means that Anna has encountered a barrier that her from rising to the level of management committee through promotion simply because she is a woman. This term is extended to refer to the obstacles that hinder the advancement of minority women. It is often difficult for minority women to rise to ranks simply because of their responsibilities, color and discrimination. In this case, Anna being a good mother to her children makes the management think that she wont want more responsibilities.

The answer is: Glass ceiling

Glass ceiling refers to a barrier that prevent minorities and women from advancing their career. This barrier tend to be really subtle and not openly imposed (since it's illegal to openly discriminate, the company could face a lawsuit). It's often done because of false perception that women or minorities would not do according to standards due to their circumstances.