Women hold only 30.5% of management positions worldwide — Anadolu Agency

In Geneva, Switzerland, the International Labour Organization reported that women worldwide hold 30.5% of management positions, despite growing representation at the highest levels of corporate governance. Anadolu Agency reports, citing a new ILO report.

Changes in senior leadership

The share of companies whose boards of directors are chaired by women rose from 13.1% in 2013 to 30.9% in 2025. At the same time, the share of enterprises led by women serving as chief executive officers increased from 23.4% to 28.2%.

However, women’s representation in junior and middle management positions declined over this period. The ILO warned that this could weaken the talent pipeline for women’s future advancement into leadership roles.

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Fewer initiatives

Nearly 70% of surveyed enterprises said that gender equality and diversity measures improved their business performance in 2025. Among companies that linked profit growth to initiatives supporting women in management, 87.4% recorded growth of at least 5%.

Despite this, the share of enterprises implementing gender equality initiatives fell from 37.4% in 2018 to 26.5% in 2025. The report’s data are based on a 2025 survey of nearly 12,000 enterprises in 99 countries.