Women in leadership roles

A growing body of evidence shows that companies with women in decision-making positions outperform their peers, achieve stronger governance, and more innovation and resilient growth. For employers, investors, and others committed to performance and progress, advancing women isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a must. Despite the obvious benefits, women are under-represented in company decision making positions. 

Where next?

ILO research shows that the beneficial effects of gender equality and diversity begin to accrue when women hold 30 per cent of senior management and leadership positions. 

The following actions can help companies to achieve, at a very minimum, this 30 per cent threshold.

• Explicitly recognize and seek out the benefits of a gender-balanced workforce at all levels.
• Introduce enterprise-wide gender initiatives and practices, potentially working with your EBMO or women’s business network.
• Assign managerial responsibility for implementation of the above gender initiatives.
• Challenge gender bias in recruitment and promotion and nurture women’s leadership. 

Once started on the road to gender diversity, a virtuous circle sets in for many companies. A more gender-balanced workforce leads to more women CEOs and in turn to more women on boards. When there are more women on boards this can help in the appointment of more women CEOs, and so on.