Women's Leadership Gains Highlighted in New ILO Report

A new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Women in Business and Management: Scaling Success highlights the growing representation of women in senior business leadership and the positive impact of gender equality on business performance. However, women's career advancement and leadership opportunities in management remain underrepresented, and a slowdown in the uptake of equality measures in the workplace could impede progress. The report urges enterprises to increase opportunities for women in leadership, promote workplace diversity to make gender equality commitments tangible and measurable.

The report reveals that the share of enterprises with a woman board chair increased from 13.1 per cent in 2013 to 30.9 per cent in 2025. Likewise, the percentage of companies led by women CEOs increased from 23.4 per cent to 28.2 per cent in the same timeframe.

With these advances women still make up only 30 per cent of managerial roles in the world. The gender balance is also not even across management levels, being better at higher levels of management and worse in lower levels between 2013 and 2025.

Key Highlights

• Women's representation as board chairs increased significantly between 2013 and 2025
• Nearly seven in ten enterprises reported improved outcomes through equality initiatives
• Women continue to hold less than one-third of managerial positions globally

The report calls attention to the increasing linkage between women's leadership and business performance and the importance of workplace diversity. In 2025, almost 70 percent of the enterprises surveyed indicated that they had seen a positive outcome from gender equality and diversity initiatives in their business, 11.1 percentage points higher than in 2018.

Of the firms that saw a rise in profits due to women's management promotion efforts, 87.4 per cent saw a profit increase of 5 per cent or more. Firms led by women CEOs and board chairs also were more likely to report positive business results.

ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo highlighted the need for equality at the workplace, saying, “Gender equality is a right and the facts are clear: it is a strong engine of sustainable enterprises and economic growth.” The key is to ensure that organisational policies and commitments are reflected in measurable progress, he said.

The report pointed out that there is a disconnect between commitments and implementation. In 2025, 74.8 per cent of enterprises had gender equality and diversity policies, with the proportion of enterprises that have gender equality and diversity initiatives decreasing from 37.4 per cent in 2018 to 26.5 per cent in 2025. This encompassed maternity leave aid and equal pay schemes.

In addition, the report notes the presence of a large untapped workforce of women. However, in 2023, females represented 46.4 per cent of enrolments in tertiary education compared to males' 40.3 per cent. Although women are making strides in their education, they continue to be under-represented in areas of business function and areas that frequently lead to senior leadership.

At a time when companies are seeking skills and talent, it makes little business sense to miss out on women's potential, said Maria Paz Anzorreguy, Director of the ILO Bureau for Employers' Activities.

The report calls for a bolstering of women's leadership pipelines, setting up gender-based performance metrics, and ensuring access to leadership positions and embedding equality considerations into business planning. It also demands measures to address these structural hurdles such as differential care responsibilities, occupational segregation and entrenched social norms.

The report highlights that gender equality is not just about policy – it is about implementation, accountability and opportunities for women to move into leadership positions, based on a survey of 11,957 businesses in 99 countries, and on previous surveys and labour market data.