Globally, since 1991, the share of women's participation in the labour force has grown, albeit with differences from region to region and within regions. In the Middle East and North Africa the growth has been slow and fitful, with participation rates remaining well below those of other regions. In Latin America and the Caribbean the share of women in the labour force is increasing at a good pace, however, in Asia and the Pacific there have been declines. This report offers new insights into how gender diversity at the top improves organizational performance. These include how the many dimensi
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Globally, since 1991, the share of women's participation in the labour force has grown, albeit with differences from region to region and within regions. In the Middle East and North Africa the growth has been slow and fitful, with participation rates remaining well below those of other regions. In Latin America and the Caribbean the share of women in the labour force is increasing at a good pace, however, in Asia and the Pacific there have been declines. This report offers new insights into how gender diversity at the top improves organizational performance. These include how the many dimensions of an organization's policies, a gender-balanced workforce and a gender-inclusive culture, among other factors, move the needle for more women to hold decision-making power.
This research finds that the share of women in managerial positions across the globe is growing considerably. From 2002, a steady upward trend of women filling the ranks at greater speed than men is seen, particularly in Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Central Asia. However, the increase has been markedly smaller in some regions, such as Africa and the Middle East. These gains have yet to lead to a major shift in the gender composition of senior leadership and decision-making positions within companies. According to our global survey of almost 13,000 enterprises in 70 countries, nearly half of enterprises reported that women hold fewer than 30 per cent of entry-level management positions. The finding of this report that is of paramount importance is that gender diversity is a smart business strategy: the lack of gender diversity may act as a barrier to enhanced business performance.
Edited excerpts from publication and publisher's website.
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