Half the world’s population, yet less than a third of its leaders. Women are working, innovating and contributing, but when it comes to leadership, they remain on the margins of power. Despite decades of progress, leadership tables still don’t reflect the world we live in. And if we continue at this pace, UN Women estimates that true gender equality is still 300 years away.
From Marie Curie to Jacinda Ardern, women have shattered stereotypes and led with excellence across fields. But why does the gender gap in leadership remain so stubbornly wide? Even in healthcare, a sector where women form 70% of the global workforce, only 25% hold leadership roles. More women are joining the workforce, yet leadership remains a distant dream for most. So, what’s stopping us?
Efforts to improve gender diversity in the workplace are well-intentioned, but they often come with unintended consequences. Policies designed to increase representation sometimes focus on numbers rather than meaningful inclusion, creating a false sense of progress.
Tokenism over influence: Many organizations introduce quotas to increase the number of women in their workforce. While this boosts representation on paper, it often fails to translate into real influence. Women are frequently placed in entry-level or non-revenue-generating roles, limiting their career progression. The 2023 Women in the Workplace Report by McKinsey & Co. highlighted the “broken rung” problem where women struggle to get that first promotion into management. For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 87 women make the leap. Hiring women without giving them decision-making power is not progress, it’s mere optics.
Diversity Without Inclusion: Numbers alone don’t change workplace culture. Without real inclusion where women feel valued, supported, and empowered, the revolving door continues. A 2020 report by Accenture and Girls Who Code, found that 50% of women in tech leave the field by the age of 35. Why? Many workplaces remain rigid, biased, and lack mentorship. Simply adding women to the workforce isn’t enough if the environment isn’t set up for them to thrive.
Resentment and Backlash: When diversity programs are poorly communicated, they can create resentment. Men, who form the majority group, may feel sidelined, leading to resistance rather than support. In 2017, a memo from a Google engineer argued that diversity efforts were unfair to men, sparking internal division. This kind of backlash can make workplaces more hostile for women rather than more inclusive.
The Burden of “Proving It”: The constant push for diversity places enormous pressure on both organizations and the women they aim to support. Women leaders often feel the need to constantly prove their worth, battling implicit biases and deeply ingrained stereotypes. When women step into leadership roles, they face scrutiny that their male counterparts don’t.
Take Jacinda Ardern. As Prime Minister of New Zealand, she was widely praised for her empathetic leadership. But she was also questioned, relentlessly, about whether she could balance motherhood with running a country. In 2023, she stepped down, citing burnout. And it’s not just at the highest levels, this pressure exists at every stage of a woman’s career.
What should the future look like?
Women don’t need more well-meaning policies that tick a box. What we need is a fundamental shift in how workplaces support, mentor, and elevate women into decision-making roles. Organizations must ensure that women hired are given real growth opportunities through advocacy, leadership training, and access to influential networks. Many women juggle personal and professional responsibilities. Flexible work policies and an empathetic work culture can go a long way in retention. Women shouldn’t have to “lead like men” to be taken seriously. Leadership should be redefined to value empathy, collaboration, and diverse perspectives.
The future of leadership must be built on inclusion. As Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.", until we internalize this truth, not just in words but in actions, leadership will continue to be an uneven playing field.
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