Women In Business 2025: Making A Difference For The Lost Generation

As of 2025, the path to gender equality in business leadership is still being worked on. The Grant Thornton Women in Business 2025 report tells us how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go. The report, called “Impacting the Missed Generation,” talks about how slowly gender parity is being reached in senior management roles at mid-market companies around the world.

It says that women won’t be equally represented in these roles until 2051, which is 26 years from now. This delay has an impact on a whole generation of young women who are starting their careers today and may work in places where leadership is not fully balanced for decades. Let’s get into the details of this report, such as what it says about age, where people live, their education, and what it all means for businesses and society. To close this gap and make things better, female leadership is very important.

Key Findings from the 2025 Women in Business Report

The report gives a clear picture of where women will be in business leadership in 2025. Here are the main points:

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Slow Progress Toward Gender Equality

Women make up 34% of senior management positions in mid-sized companies around the world. This is a small improvement over previous years, but the pace is still too slow. The report says that gender parity, which means that women will hold 50% of senior roles, won’t happen until 2051.

This means that a young woman who starts her career today might not see equal representation at the top until she is in her 50s or older. Women’s Representation in Global Business is still not equal, and a lot more work needs to be done to make it so. Women in senior management face problems like systemic barriers and biases that make it harder for them to move up.

The Advantages of Teams with Equal Numbers of Men and Women

Companies with more women in leadership positions see real benefits from having gender-balanced leadership teams:

• Better Decisions: 19% of businesses say that having a diverse workforce helps them make better choices.
• More Innovation: 23% say their teams are more innovative.
• Getting Clients and Investors: 20% say that having a gender balance makes their business more appealing to clients and investors.
• Stronger Workplace Culture: 31% say that everyone is treated the same in their workplace.

These benefits show that gender equality isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also good for business. The advantages of gender-balanced leadership teams are clear in the better results for the business. Female leadership is a big part of making these benefits happen.

Advancement in Certain Positions

Women in the US are making significant progress in some leadership positions:

• Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Women now hold 49% of CFO positions, which is 13 percentage points more than in 2024.
• Chief Technology Officer (CTO): 27% of CTO jobs are held by women, which is 12 percentage points more than last year.

Women are also more likely than men to be chief sustainability officers and chief communications officers than they are around the world. Having women in these leadership roles shows progress, but it also shows that there needs to be more representation in all areas.

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Understanding the “Missed Generation”

Young women in their 20s and 30s who are just starting their careers are called the “missed generation.” It will probably take these women more than 25 years to see gender equality in senior leadership. This delay could hurt their motivation and career chances, and businesses could miss out on the full benefits of having diverse leaders.

Young women in business leadership have their own set of problems, such as not having many role models and not being able to move up in their careers as quickly. To motivate and help this group, female leadership is very important.

The Age of Women in Business Leadership

The report doesn’t give exact ages for women in senior management, but it does talk about the “missed generation,” which is young women who are starting to work now. These women are probably in their 20s or 30s because they are just starting their careers. It’s safe to assume that most people in senior positions are in their 40s or older.

since it takes time to move up the corporate ladder. Because things aren’t moving along as quickly as they should, young women today may not see equal representation until they are much older. This could affect their career goals and experiences at work. Young women in business leadership need more chances to grow quickly.

Geographical Distribution of Women in Senior Management

The report goes into great detail about how women’s representation in senior management is different in different countries. The chart above shows how many women will be in senior management positions in different countries in 2025. This table shows the most important information:

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Percentage of Women in Senior Management by Country (2025)

There is a lot of difference in this table. Japan and South Korea are far behind, while South Africa, Thailand, and the Philippines are close to or above 40%. The U.S. is on par with the world average at 34%. It’s also worth noting that no U.S. companies (along with Indonesia and China) reported having no women on their leadership teams. The representation of women in global business is very different from one region to the next. Some regions have more female leaders than others.

Education of Women in Leadership Roles

The report doesn’t give exact numbers on the educational backgrounds of women in top management. But women in these jobs often have more education, like a university degree or an advanced degree like an MBA. Many have also gained a lot of experience over the years through professional development.

We can guess that education is important for women to become leaders, but things like bias at work or a lack of support could still hold them back. Women in senior management often have a hard time balancing their education with their job opportunities. To succeed, female leaders need a strong education.

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Actions Companies Can Take to Achieve Gender Parity

To speed up progress toward gender equality, the report suggests a number of practical steps:

Set Big Goals

Only 25% of companies around the world have set goals for women on boards, and 57% of U.S. companies don’t have clear goals for women in senior management. To make things better, it’s important to set clear, measurable goals. Putting these goals first can help women become leaders.

Help with Your Career for the Rest of Your Life

Mentorship (35% of U.S. companies use it), networking (33%), and retention strategies (29%) are all good ways to keep employees. For instance, companies that were committed to networking saw more women in senior positions. Such support systems are very helpful for young women in business leadership.

Use Pressure from Outside Sources

Companies that are under pressure from business advisors (68%), potential clients (65%), or investors (62%) have a higher percentage of women in senior roles (37%). Seventy-five percent of businesses in the U.S. have been asked to share the gender balance of their leaders. This is most often done by investors (39%) or new clients (38%). This pressure can help women get more jobs in global business.

Why Gender Parity in Leadership Matters

The slow progress toward gender equality has effects that go far beyond just one group. Companies that don’t put diversity first might miss out on making better decisions, coming up with new ideas, and making more money. Young women may feel discouraged by the lack of progress, which could lead to losing talent or lowering morale.

When half of the population isn’t fully involved in leadership roles, economies also suffer. The report’s call to action is urgent: “We must act now to speed up the process of achieving parity—we owe it to women and to the economies and societies that support us.” To keep growing in a sustainable way, it is important to have gender-balanced leadership teams and to help women in senior management deal with their problems.

Conclusion: Accelerating Action for Gender Equality

The Grant Thornton Women in Business 2025 report, aligned with International Women’s Day 2025’s “Accelerate Action” theme, shows women hold 34% of senior management roles globally, with gender equality not expected until 2051. This delay impacts the “missed generation” of young women in business leadership, who may not see balanced leadership for decades.

While South Africa and Thailand lead, countries like Japan trail behind. Higher education is probably important for female leadership. Businesses must set high goals, support women’s careers, and use external pressure to speed up progress, benefiting women, businesses, and society. Let’s act now to ensure no one is left behind.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the current percentage of women in senior management positions around the world?

According to a report by Grant Thornton, women will hold 34% of senior management positions around the world by 2025.

2. When do you think gender equality in senior management will be reached?

At the current rate, gender equality is expected to be reached by 2051.

3. Which countries have the most women in top management positions?

South Africa is in first place with 47.2%, followed by Thailand with 43.1% and the Philippines with 43.0%.

4. What are the advantages for businesses of having leadership teams that are balanced in terms of gender?

Some of the benefits are better decision-making (19%), more innovation (23%), better attracting clients and investors (20%), and a stronger workplace culture (31%). Gender-balanced leadership teams are good for business.

5. What can businesses do to speed up the process of achieving gender equality?

Companies can promote gender equality by setting clear goals for parity, providing mentorship and networking opportunities, and using pressure from investors and clients. Supporting women in leadership roles is important for this progress.