The growth rate of women in senior leadership roles saw its lowest increase in over a decade in 2023, rising only by 0.5%|Amtec Photos|CC BY 2.0
In 2023, a concerning development emerged in the corporate world as women’s representation in top executive positions took a dip for the first time in nearly two decades.
According to a recent report by S&P Global Market Intelligence, female executives experienced a decline of approximately 60 coveted “C-suite” roles, reducing their representation from 12.2% to 11.8% of 15,000 top positions at publicly traded US companies.
The reversal comes after years of gradual progress toward gender parity in corporate leadership.
Despite a surge in 2022, the growth is no longer exponential, raising questions about previous gender parity estimates.
While the exact reasons behind this downturn remain unclear, data suggests a narrow pipeline. Women hold fewer than 30% of revenue-generating management positions that often lead to executive roles.
The growth rate of women in senior leadership roles saw its lowest increase in over a decade in 2023, rising only by 0.5%.
With women comprising 47% of the US labor force, only 42% occupy management roles, 32% are top executives, and a mere 10% hold Fortune 500 CEO positions.