Women Gain Ground in Corporate Leadership, but Wider Management Gap Persists, ILO Says

Women now lead more company boards and businesses than a decade ago, but they still hold fewer than one-third of management positions overall. The ILO also reports a widening gap between companies’ equality policies and their implementation.

3 Nov 2026

Women have increased their presence in the highest levels of corporate leadership, but remain underrepresented across management as a whole, according to a report published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Tuesday, November 3.

The share of company boards worldwide chaired by women rose from 13.1% in 2013 to 30.9% in 2025. Over the same period, the proportion of businesses led by women increased from 23.4% to 28.2%.

Despite that progress, women held 30.5% of management positions globally. That figure is up from 24.5% in 2000, but remains below one-third, the report said.

The findings are based on a survey of 11,957 companies in 99 countries. The ILO said the gap between companies’ stated commitments to equality and their actions is growing: about 75% reported having an equality and diversity policy, or an equivalent mechanism, in 2025, while the share implementing initiatives in this area fell from 37.4% in 2018 to 26.5% in 2025.

“Gender equality is a fundamental right, and the data clearly show that it is also a powerful driver of business sustainability and economic growth,” ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo said in a statement.

Sources: Folha Mercado.