What systemic barriers prevent women from reaching top leadership?

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Systemic Barriers Hinder Women's Ascent to Top Leadership Roles

Globally, women remain significantly underrepresented in leadership positions despite making up 41.2 per cent of the workforce. This disparity is particularly pronounced in high-growth and influential sectors, such as STEM, where women constitute nearly one-third of graduates but only 14 per cent of leaders. Recent trends suggest a regression in leadership parity, with the proportion of women appointed to senior leadership roles declining for three consecutive years. This pattern is also observed in board appointments, which have seen a similar decrease.
Decline in Women's Representation in Leadership Appointments

The share of women in new senior leadership appointments has shown a downward trend in recent years. After peaking at 34.8 per cent in 2022, this figure fell to 32.8 per cent by the first quarter of 2025. Board appointments reflect a similar decline, dropping from 17.2 per cent in 2020 to 14.2 per cent in 2024. This regression indicates a persistent challenge in achieving gender balance at the highest levels of organisations.
Disproportionate Impact During Labour Market Tightening

Evidence suggests that when labour markets become more competitive, the hiring of women into leadership positions declines disproportionately. This effect is most pronounced in industries where women are already underrepresented. Such trends exacerbate existing gender gaps and highlight the vulnerability of women's leadership progression to economic conditions.
Long Timelines to Achieve Gender Parity

At the current pace of progress, closing the global gender gap is projected to take 123 years. Specifically, achieving economic gender parity is estimated to require 135 years, and closing the political empowerment gap is expected to take 162 years. These long timelines underscore the deep-seated nature of the systemic barriers that continue to impede women's advancement.

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What systemic barriers prevent women from reaching top leadership?

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