Only 10 percent of C-suite positions are held by women, with no improvement to the number of women holding executive positions since 2019 despite increased visibility on the issue, according to a recent IBM report.
Six details:
- Just 10 percent of C-suite positions and 8 percent of executive board roles are held by women, the same numbers IBM measured in 2019.
- The pipeline of women in leadership positions has shrunk since 2019. All positions measured, such as vice president, senior manager and junior professional, have had the number of women in those roles shrink.
- Gaps in gender equity among leadership ranks are wider for women of color. Across senior leadership ranks, women of color hold 1 in 25 C-suite positions, while white women hold 1 in 5 roles.
- Some organizations are working toward shrinking the gender gap. Sixty-four percent of companies are utilizing gender-blind candidate screening, 62 percent are offering parental leave for women and 55 percent are publishing gender equity pay internally.
- Less than half (48 percent) of respondents said their organization targets gender equity, a decrease from 66 percent in 2019. Just 1 in 4 respondents said their company makes the advancement of women a top 10 formal business priority. Instead, 58 percent said their organization adopts a "do it when they can" approach.
- Between November 2020 and January 2021, IBM surveyed more than 2,600 executives, managers and professionals across 10 industries and nine geographic regions. Executives from industries such as healthcare, insurance and technology were surveyed, with each industry representing 10 percent of respondents. Countries surveyed include the U.S., the U.K., Germany and Japan, with each country representing 11 percent of respondents.