Progress toward gender parity in corporate leadership has stalled globally since 2022. According to recent research from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in their report, Closing the Gender Gap in Senior Leadership, women continue to make up less than half of the global workforce and hold less than one-third of top-level management roles.
The Numbers Behind the Stagnation
The WEF data surfaces a clear picture of executive representation across the corporate landscape:
- The Leadership Gap: Women make up 41.7% of the global workforce, but hold just 24.6% of C-suite roles and 29.3% of board seats.
- Declining Momentum: The share of women in new senior leadership appointments peaked at 34.8% in 2022 and has dropped for three straight years.
- Top Executive Slots: Women accounted for 21.1% of CEO hires in 2025, showing only slight progress in top-level roles.
The Four-Pillar Framework for Systemic Change
Rather than focusing solely on individual career advancement, the report urges business and policy leaders to implement systemic organizational change across four core pillars:
- Redefining Leadership: Changing what core skills and traits are valued in top leaders.
- Rewiring Pathways: Giving women access to high-impact networks and roles that lead to the top.
- Fair Selection: Removing bias from hiring and promotion systems.
- Redesigning Conditions: Improving workplace support, such as parental leave and flexible options, so leaders can sustain their careers.
Driving Daily, Deliberate Sponsorship
Real change requires continuous, personal action from leaders in every industry. Reflecting on the report’s findings for Women’s Equality Day, Leanne Taylor, CEO of Syspro, highlights the vital role active advocacy plays in breaking through leadership barriers:
“Equality should not be something we discuss only on designated days, nor should it define any one leader’s agenda. I’ve worked in enterprise technology for more than 25 years, and for much of that time I was one of very few women at the tables where decisions were made. The things that made the greatest difference were people who backed me, said my name when I was not in the room and sponsored me for opportunities because they knew I was talented, capable, and driven.
Now I look for people, especially women, who are doing great work but are not receiving enough credit for it, and I try to change that by putting their names forward and encouraging them to consider bigger roles. It has to be intentional because it will not happen by accident. On Women’s Equality Day, I encourage everyone to think of one woman who deserves more than they are currently getting and do something about it this week.”