Report sheds light on progress made so far and outstanding challenges towards gender diversity and inclusion in women’s corporate leadership.

Key Highlights of the report

• Globally, in lower-middle income countries, 19.2% firms had female top manager as against 17.3% in high-income countries. (World Bank, 2022)
• In India
  • Only 16% of employed people in senior and middle management positions were female in 2022. (World Bank)
  • Substantial increase in proportion of women serving on boards over the past decade, from 6% in 2013 to 18% in 2022.

Reasons for gaps in Women’s Corporate Leadership roles

• Gaps in enforcement of existing regulatory measures: During 2018-2023, 507 of companies have been fined for non-compliance with the Companies Act 2013 which mandates women directors on company boards.
• Limited pool of women: Due to lower female labor force participation rates (37% in 2022-23), women dropping off the workforce due to familial responsibilities, etc.
• Social conditioning: Women not applying for leadership roles due to their environments, cultural gender roles, etc.
• Sector-wise discrepancies: Representation of women greatly varies across sectors with determining factors such as work environment, travel requirements, disparity in pay, number and nature of the work-hours, etc.