Why do women occupy only 28.1% of senior leadership roles globally?
Why do women occupy only 28.1% of senior leadership roles globally?
They're graduating in greater numbers, outperforming in classrooms, and steadily joining the workforce across every major sector. But when it comes to leadership—the corner office, the boardroom, the real seat at the table—women are still not getting through the door.
According to the
Global Gender Gap Report 2025
by the
World Economic Forum
(WEF), women hold just 28.1% of senior leadership positions worldwide. Despite significant progress in education and workforce participation, this number reveals a sobering reality: women are climbing the ladder, but still not leading.
This gap is not merely symbolic—it has real economic consequences. Leadership shapes culture, policy, and profit, and without women at the helm, organizations miss out on the diversity of thought and decision-making proven to drive innovation and performance.
The problem isn't a lack of qualified women—it's that too few are being given the chance to lead.
The slow ascent to the top
From 2015 to 2024, the share of women in top management globally rose only modestly—from 25.7% to 28.1%—and that momentum has slowed even further in the past two years. While select industries and regions have made progress, the overall pace remains disappointingly slow.
This stagnation isn't due to a lack of talent or ambition.
In fact, women are achieving academically at historic levels. The 2025 Global Gender Gap Report notes that the educational gender gap is now 95.1% closed, with women surpassing men in tertiary education across many countries. Yet these academic gains are not translating into equal representation in leadership.
The report also mentions that only 29.5% of senior managers with tertiary education are women, revealing a troubling disconnect: even when equally or more qualified, women are still less likely to rise to top roles.
Education is no longer the barrier—access to opportunity is.
The leaky pipeline
This disconnect between education and elevation in leadership is often described as the 'leaky pipeline'—a system in which women enter at junior levels but gradually drop off due to lack of opportunity, support, or advancement.
One factor is the uneven distribution of caregiving. The WEF report shows women are 55.2% more likely than men to take career breaks, and those breaks tend to be longer—19.6 months for women versus 13.9 months for men.
Most of these breaks are tied to parenting and unpaid care work, a burden still overwhelmingly borne by women across cultures and economies.
Without structural support—such as accessible childcare, flexible work, and paid parental leave—these career breaks often come at the cost of momentum, visibility, and promotion.
Stuck in people-centric professions
Another reason for the leadership gap is gender-based industry segregation. Women continue to be concentrated in lower-paying, 'people-centric' sectors such as healthcare (58.5%) and education (52.9%).
Meanwhile, industries traditionally associated with leadership pipelines—like finance, technology, and infrastructure—remain male-dominated, although there are signs of change.
Notably, women's representation in infrastructure jobs grew by 8.9 percentage points, according to the WEF report. But these gains are the exception, not the rule.
Education is no longer the issue
Women have done their part. They've gone to school, earned their degrees, and joined the workforce.
The problem no longer lies in qualification, but in translation—from classroom to career, and from entry-level to executive.
The global workforce participation rate for women is now 41.2%, a number that still lags significantly behind men. And of the women who do enter the workforce, far too few are given the mentorship, sponsorship, or opportunity needed to move up.
This isn't just a gender issue—it's an economic one.
A more inclusive leadership landscape brings diverse perspectives, better decision-making, and stronger performance. Companies and countries alike are missing out on talent, innovation, and resilience by failing to elevate women into senior roles.
A call for systemic change
If progress continues at the current rate, the report estimates it will take 123 years to close the global gender gap entirely. That means not just today's generation of working women—but likely their daughters and granddaughters—will still be fighting for seats at the table.
To close this gap faster, experts point to several urgent interventions:
Transparent promotion pathways
Equal access to leadership training and mentorship
Workplace policies that support caregiving and flexible careers
Gender-balanced hiring and succession planning
Because women aren't asking for shortcuts—they're asking for systems that recognize their readiness and reward their contribution.
The world has made undeniable progress in education. But until leadership reflects that progress, the ladder remains broken. Women are climbing—but the top is still far too crowded with the same familiar faces.
It's time to build a workforce where qualification leads to opportunity, and ambition is met with access. Not 123 years from now. But now.
Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
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Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Why do women occupy only 28.1% of senior leadership roles globally?
Why do women occupy only 28.1% of senior leadership roles globally? They're graduating in greater numbers, outperforming in classrooms, and steadily joining the workforce across every major sector. But when it comes to leadership—the corner office, the boardroom, the real seat at the table—women are still not getting through the door. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum (WEF), women hold just 28.1% of senior leadership positions worldwide. Despite significant progress in education and workforce participation, this number reveals a sobering reality: women are climbing the ladder, but still not leading. This gap is not merely symbolic—it has real economic consequences. Leadership shapes culture, policy, and profit, and without women at the helm, organizations miss out on the diversity of thought and decision-making proven to drive innovation and performance. The problem isn't a lack of qualified women—it's that too few are being given the chance to lead. The slow ascent to the top From 2015 to 2024, the share of women in top management globally rose only modestly—from 25.7% to 28.1%—and that momentum has slowed even further in the past two years. While select industries and regions have made progress, the overall pace remains disappointingly slow. This stagnation isn't due to a lack of talent or ambition. In fact, women are achieving academically at historic levels. The 2025 Global Gender Gap Report notes that the educational gender gap is now 95.1% closed, with women surpassing men in tertiary education across many countries. Yet these academic gains are not translating into equal representation in leadership. The report also mentions that only 29.5% of senior managers with tertiary education are women, revealing a troubling disconnect: even when equally or more qualified, women are still less likely to rise to top roles. Education is no longer the barrier—access to opportunity is. The leaky pipeline This disconnect between education and elevation in leadership is often described as the 'leaky pipeline'—a system in which women enter at junior levels but gradually drop off due to lack of opportunity, support, or advancement. One factor is the uneven distribution of caregiving. The WEF report shows women are 55.2% more likely than men to take career breaks, and those breaks tend to be longer—19.6 months for women versus 13.9 months for men. Most of these breaks are tied to parenting and unpaid care work, a burden still overwhelmingly borne by women across cultures and economies. Without structural support—such as accessible childcare, flexible work, and paid parental leave—these career breaks often come at the cost of momentum, visibility, and promotion. Stuck in people-centric professions Another reason for the leadership gap is gender-based industry segregation. Women continue to be concentrated in lower-paying, 'people-centric' sectors such as healthcare (58.5%) and education (52.9%). Meanwhile, industries traditionally associated with leadership pipelines—like finance, technology, and infrastructure—remain male-dominated, although there are signs of change. Notably, women's representation in infrastructure jobs grew by 8.9 percentage points, according to the WEF report. But these gains are the exception, not the rule. Education is no longer the issue Women have done their part. They've gone to school, earned their degrees, and joined the workforce. The problem no longer lies in qualification, but in translation—from classroom to career, and from entry-level to executive. The global workforce participation rate for women is now 41.2%, a number that still lags significantly behind men. And of the women who do enter the workforce, far too few are given the mentorship, sponsorship, or opportunity needed to move up. This isn't just a gender issue—it's an economic one. A more inclusive leadership landscape brings diverse perspectives, better decision-making, and stronger performance. Companies and countries alike are missing out on talent, innovation, and resilience by failing to elevate women into senior roles. A call for systemic change If progress continues at the current rate, the report estimates it will take 123 years to close the global gender gap entirely. That means not just today's generation of working women—but likely their daughters and granddaughters—will still be fighting for seats at the table. To close this gap faster, experts point to several urgent interventions: Transparent promotion pathways Equal access to leadership training and mentorship Workplace policies that support caregiving and flexible careers Gender-balanced hiring and succession planning Because women aren't asking for shortcuts—they're asking for systems that recognize their readiness and reward their contribution. The world has made undeniable progress in education. But until leadership reflects that progress, the ladder remains broken. Women are climbing—but the top is still far too crowded with the same familiar faces. It's time to build a workforce where qualification leads to opportunity, and ambition is met with access. Not 123 years from now. But now. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
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For women to be counted as leaders, a seat at the table isn't enough
Written by Kinnari Gatare and Akriti Jayant 'If I had a rupee for every time I wasn't taken seriously, I'd be rich by now.' A woman colleague shares this as an example of the often invisible patterns that continue to hold women back. She had volunteered to lead a project, with a plan and team support. A colleague questioned her clarity, joking that she might get confused. She brushed it off, assuming fairness would prevail. Trusting his intentions, she handed him key responsibilities, expecting collaboration. But when the time came, he assumed leadership — without discussion or acknowledgment. More than hurt, she was struck by how quickly shared work can become invisible when authority isn't equally distributed. This experience taught her that fairness doesn't just happen — it must be actively safeguarded. This isn't just one colleague's story. Across various sectors and spheres of life, a familiar pattern repeats. Even when included through quotas or nominations, they're often relegated to token roles or 'soft' committees. This isn't about competence — it's about power. Structural hierarchies persist even within movements for equality. Masculinity and the fear of female authority Prevailing models of masculinity tend to prize dominance over dialogue, confidence over competence — leaving competent women perceived not as peers, but as threats. A 2023 Harvard Business Review study found senior male executives were 50 per cent more likely to mentor younger, less assertive women — those less likely to challenge authority. Critique from a woman, especially when direct, often unsettles ingrained hierarchies, not because it lacks merit, but because it comes from an unexpected source. Encouragingly, events like the 2025 Male Allyship Synergy Summit (MASS), reflect a cultural shift and aspirational change towards shared responsibility. At MASS, participants engaged in initiatives promoting male allyship, such as the launch of 'Allyship Clubs' and discussions on actionable steps toward gender inclusion. Institutions must redesign leadership pipelines to value empathy, collaboration, and reflection — not just representation. The problem is cultural, but the solutions must be institutional. Corporates and public institutions must develop gender-responsive performance indicators that reward inclusive decision-making as much as deliverables. Because culture follows structure — and structure must first make room. Break the silence between women, too One of the hardest truths about gendered power is that women aren't always allies. In some institutional settings, younger women report feeling undermined by older women who, having survived patriarchal systems, may unintentionally reinforce them to protect hard-won space. We're taught not to 'pit women against women,' so the harm goes unspoken. That silence preserves the status quo. A 2022 World Economic Forum report found that only 25 per cent of senior women mentor other women, compared to 48 per cent of men mentoring younger men. This isn't personal failure — it's structural conditioning in systems that reward individual survival over collective strength. Rebuilding trust among women in power Patriarchal systems often fracture potential solidarity among women, especially when power is scarce and competition becomes survival. A 2023 LinkedIn survey found that 43 per cent of working women in India have faced exclusion or lack of support from other women. These are not personal failures, but symptoms of institutional cultures that never taught women to collaborate as equals. Respect among women is political. It must be taught, practised, and built into leadership development, training, and incentives. Women should be encouraged to amplify each other's voices and challenge with care. Solidarity isn't optional — it's foundational. Policymakers must institutionalise cross-generational mentorship, especially in bureaucracy and politics. Initiatives like Mission Karmayogi can be powerful tools — if shaped by a strong gender lens. Justice, not reversal: Teaching empathy across power lines In dismantling patriarchy, we must avoid replacing one imbalance with another. Paulo Freire warned that 'the oppressed tend themselves to become oppressors' — a caution that resonates in the pursuit of gender justice. Empowerment must not come at the cost of empathy. As women rise into leadership, we must ensure they don't replicate the very dominance they once resisted. Women in power should be sensitised to the emotional experiences of male colleagues — not as a form of compromise, but as a commitment to inclusive leadership. True equality invites vulnerability and leadership across genders. Companies like Hindustan Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive are advancing this with gender-neutral parental leave, while SEWA's cooperative model shows how feminist leadership rooted in care and accountability can be transformative. Representation without authority is hollow We often celebrate representation as progress, but numbers alone don't dismantle entrenched bias. Without real authority, representation risks becoming symbolic. In India, where women make up just 13.6 per cent of the 18th Lok Sabha, and an average of only 10 per cent in state assemblies, there are great expectations from the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act). The reservation will be implemented following the publication of a new Census and the completion of the delimitation exercise. The question, however, is whether representation will translate to true power. A 2012 UNDP report found that higher women's participation in politics leads to better outcomes in health, education, and governance. Yet across sectors, women's authority is too often treated as optional — ignored, interrupted, or challenged more than their male counterparts. The right to equality under Article 15 means little if women's authority continues to be interrupted, ignored, or tokenised. The problem isn't the number of women in leadership; it's the systemic refusal to respect and follow them. Until that changes, more seats won't make us heard. As Indira Gandhi once reflected, 'To be liberated, a woman must feel free to be herself, not in rivalry to man but in the context of her own capacity and her personality.' Her words are a reminder that women don't need power handed to them — they need space where their power is honoured. Gatare is a researcher in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Learning Analytics, currently working as a UX Design consultant at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Jayant leads Communications and Marketing at The Dialogue, a New Delhi-based tech policy think tank
