The International Labour Organization on Tuesday reported that fewer companies are carrying out gender equality policies, even as more women hold top corporate jobs.
The findings are in the report Women in Business and Management: Scaling Success. It draws on a 2025 survey of 11,957 enterprises in 99 countries, surveys from 2013 and 2018, 30 years of labour market data, secondary research and case studies.
| Measure | Share | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Companies with a woman board chair | 13.1 per cent | 2013 |
| Companies with a woman board chair | 30.1 per cent | 2025 |
| Companies with a woman CEO | 23.5 per cent | 2013 |
| Companies with a woman CEO | 28.2 per cent | 2025 |
| Enterprises that implemented gender equality policies | 37.4 per cent | 2018 |
| Enterprises that implemented gender equality policies | 26.5 per cent | 2025 |
Between 2013 and 2025, the share of companies with a woman board chair rose from 13.1% to 30.1%, the organization said. The share with a woman chief executive rose from 23.5% to 28.2%.
Women remain under-represented in management overall, occupying around a third of managerial-level roles, according to the report. Gender balance increased at senior and top management levels during that period but declined at junior and middle management.
Nearly 70% of enterprises surveyed in 2025 said gender equality and diversity initiatives had improved business outcomes, up more than 11 percentage points from 2018. Among those reporting increased profits through initiatives promoting women in management, 87.4% reported gains of at least 5%. Firms with women chief executives and board chairs were also more likely to report better business outcomes.
Although 74.8% of enterprises reported having a gender equality and diversity policy or equivalent in 2025, the share that implemented them stood at 26.5%, down from 37.4% in 2018.
“The decline included measures that enterprises themselves identified as among the most effective, including maternity leave and support programmes and equal pay initiatives,” the ILO said.
The UN agency said the findings come despite major advances in women’s education, including greater enrolment in tertiary education when compared with men. Women continue to be under-represented in some of the business functions and sectors that can pave a path to senior leadership, the report said.
“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 report outlines measures that include strengthening women’s leadership pipelines, improving access to roles and sectors where women remain under-represented, and using gender metrics and voluntary targets. It also calls for addressing structural barriers outside the workplace, including unequal care responsibilities, occupational segregation and persistent social norms.
The AI wrote only from the sources listed. No human reporter was involved. Read our standards or compare the models in the AI Report Card.