SHATTERING THE GLASS CEILING: WOMEN REWRITING LEADERSHIP RULES

As International Women’s Day approaches, it offers a great opportunity to reflect on the strides women have made in leadership roles and the barriers that still persist.

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A recent study by Avtar, a workplace culture consulting firm, highlights that women occupy only 19% of C-suite roles in India, significantly below the global average of 30%. This stark disparity underscores the deep-rooted challenges women face in climbing the corporate ladder, from gender bias in promotions to the lack of mentorship opportunities. While these statistics paint a sobering picture, they do not tell the full story. Across generations, from Gen X to Millennials and Gen Z, women are increasingly rewriting the rules of leadership, particularly in the startup ecosystem, proving that talent, vision, and resilience transcend gender biases.

Globally, the corporate landscape still struggles with gender equity in senior leadership. In the UK’s FTSE 350 companies, women hold 35.3% of senior leadership positions, but most occupy non-executive director roles rather than core business leadership positions. In India, the scenario is even more concerning, with only 1.6% of the top 500 companies led by women CEOs, as per ETV Bharat. Gender bias in hiring and promotion remains a key hurdle, with 44% of corporate professionals acknowledging its role in limiting women’s career advancement. Also, a lack of qualified female candidates for leadership roles—highlighted by 41% of respondents in studies—further contributes to this gap. However, these systemic issues have not deterred women from forging their own paths, particularly in entrepreneurial ventures where traditional corporate roadblocks can be bypassed.