Employers challenged to turn gender equality commitments into concrete action
Despite more women holding leadership positions now than over a decade ago, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has warned that a "critical imbalance" persists across labour markets and enterprises.
The ILO, in a newly released report, found that gender imbalances remain across labour markets despite some improvements, particularly in leadership.
The report found that 28.2% of enterprises globally had a woman CEO in 2025, up from 23.4% in 2013.
In the same period, the share of enterprises with at least 30% women on boards rose by 7.2 percentage points, from 38.3% to 45.5%. The proportion of firms with a woman board chair also more than doubled to 30.9%.
The report also found that there are more women senior managers across all functions, and they are concentrated in areas such as human resources (62.5%), as well as finance and administration (55.4%).
'Critical imbalance' at work
But a key finding in the report is the "critical imbalance" persisting in workplaces when it comes to gender.
"Over the past three decades, women have made significant gains in education and skills acquisition, now outpacing men in higher education globally," the report read.
"Yet this progress is not being matched by equivalent labour market outcomes, pointing to enduring structural constraints, including occupational segregation, unequal care responsibilities and persistent social norms that shape labour market participation and career progression."
According to the report, women senior managers are still under-represented in roles linked to profit and loss (19.8%), as well as research and development (26.3%), functions that the ILO said are "most closely associated with pathways to executive leadership."
The progress in access to management roles has also not translated into gender balance in leadership, with women accounting for just 30.5% of managerial positions globally.
Fewer than half of women (48.6%) are also economically active, and they are earning just US$0.78 for every dollar earned by men.
In the private sector, the rise of women in leadership roles also comes amid weaker pipelines. The findings showed that while senior and top management levels are seeing more women, junior and middle-management positions are seeing fewer.
Benefits of having more women at work
These challenges come despite the widespread benefits reported by firms from their gender equality initiatives.
More than two in three employers (68.5%) reported positive outcomes from gender equality and diversity initiatives. Among firms that reported increased profits, 87.4% linked the gains to initiatives promoting women in management.
Enterprises led by a female CEO are also 6.4% more likely to report better business outcomes than firms with a male CEO, the report added. Enterprises with a female board chair are also 17.5% more likely to report better business outcomes than those with a male board chair.
The barrier to gender equality at work
The ILO's report has argued that the key challenge for many workplaces is no longer about identifying effective approaches for gender equality, but about ensuring their implementation.
"Gender equality is a fundamental right, and the evidence is clear that it is also a powerful driver of sustainable enterprises and economic growth," said ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo, in a statement.
"The priority now is to turn policies and commitments into concrete, measurable progress."
The report urged employers to strengthen women's leadership pipelines, use gender metrics and voluntary targets, and improve access to roles where women are under-represented.
"At a time when enterprises are competing for skills and talent, leaving women's potential untapped makes little business sense," said Maria Paz Anzorreguy, Director of the ILO Bureau for Employers' Activities.
"The evidence increasingly tells us what works. The priority now is to put it into practice and scale it."
