Women continue to face significant barriers to achieving equal representation in management positions worldwide, with women occupying only 30.5% of managerial roles, according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The report, released on Tuesday, highlighted improvements in women’s representation at the highest levels of corporate leadership. The percentage of companies with female board chairs more than doubled, increasing from 13.1% in 2013 to 30.9% in 2025. Similarly, the share of businesses headed by female chief executive officers (CEOs) grew from 23.4% to 28.2%.
However, women’s participation in junior and middle management positions declined during the same period, raising concerns about the availability of future female leaders.
The report also emphasized the economic advantages of workplace gender equality. Almost 70% of surveyed businesses said diversity and gender equality initiatives had improved their performance in 2025. Furthermore, among companies that experienced higher profits after introducing measures to support women in management, 87.4% reported profit growth of at least 5%.
Despite these positive outcomes, fewer companies are implementing gender equality programmes. The proportion of businesses adopting such initiatives dropped from 37.4% in 2018 to 26.5% in 2025.
ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo stressed that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but also an important factor in promoting sustainable businesses and economic development. He called for stronger efforts to transform existing commitments and policies into measurable workplace improvements.
The findings are based on a 2025 survey involving nearly 12,000 businesses across 99 countries.
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