Although many companies are revising their views on women in leadership, progress is still slow around the globe. A 2020 Mercer review of women in leadership found that only 29% of senior managers were women, with the percentage in executive roles even lower at 23%.
While other statistics indicate an overall increase in the number of women in senior positions over the past few years, the pandemic negatively affected many who were on the senior track and had to (or chose to) leave their positions to become primary caregivers for home-schooled children and other family members, or as a result of company downsizing or closures.
Many agree that pandemic aside, corporate culture still evolves too slowly to indicate a significant change with regard to diversity. This is not just a “women’s issue,” as the lack of diversity in leadership affects everyone. Not only would women benefit from improvements in mentoring, pay, and opportunity in traditionally male-dominated industries but there would also be a positive financial impact on the companies involved—and, eventually, the nation’s economy.
Originally Published by CEOWORLD magazine
