Paper Title
Challenges and Growth Prospects of Islamic Banking in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the career progression of women accountants in Sudan; and as such focuses on the factors that both enhance and hinder the advancement of women along the career ladder in this profession. A questionnaire survey was addressed to a sample of 40 women accountants working in business companies and banks in Khartoum. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the organizations with the highest and those with the lowest women representation. Sixteen companies and banks were selected. Data was analyzed using simple frequencies. The findings show that the most significant factors which led the women to join the accounting profession include job satisfaction, prestigious status and high income. The results also show that barriers hindering the advancement of women along the career ladder are mainly gender discrimination, the glass ceiling, the conflicts between the demands of their professional and personal lives, and other social factors. The major recommendations also provide an improved understanding of the barriers hindering the career progression of women accountants and as such can also be used by firms to devise effective strategies to promote women to the top and tap into their potential. Keywords - Career Advancement, Accounting Profession, Barriers, Glass Ceiling.