What is the 'leadership gap' and how can companies tackle it?

Leadership positions have a persistent gender gap around the world, with women making up only 29% of the top roles in EMEA and LATAM, according to new LinkedIn data . The report found that in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, female leadership hires have increased less than 1% a year since 2016.?

As in other countries, the UK has strong female leadership representation in traditionally female-dominated industries, such as education and health. In the hospitals and health care sector, women make up 42% of the C-suite, and education 41% of the C-suite. However, LinkedIn's data report is unequivocal about women's progression into senior roles: "The trend shows representation plummeting as workers move through promotion to senior positions, even from a high starting point."

In the UK, 69% of leadership positions are held by men, a marginal drop from 2016, when the figure was 71%. And in industries with a historically strong male presence, the gap between women and men in senior roles is even more prominent.?

The report urges industry leaders to be proactive in tackling this gender disparity, suggesting skills-first promotion and flexible work arrangements – sentiments echoed by leading women across multiple industries featured in our Top Voices Gender Equity .

'Organisations are devaluing the contributions of women'

Opportunity – and the lack thereof – was the common word when we asked LinkedIn News UK's Top Voices in Gender Equity what was keeping women from progressing into leadership positions.

"Without having equal access to opportunity, women are often passed over for leadership roles and are not given the same opportunities to develop the skills and experiences that are necessary for advancement," says Leanne Mair , CEO at Benefactum Consulting .

Barclays UK 's global director –?head of DEI colleague engagement, Hannah Awonuga , points to the World Economic Forum's research that suggests gender parity is still 200 years away. The idea that "women don't want to move into senior positions because of parental responsibilities, maternity leave or pressured work environments is a damaging narrative and stereotypical," she says.?

"Until we close the [opportunity and pay disparity] gap, organisations are devaluing the contributions of women," Mair says.?

When the personal meets the professional: Supporting women at every stage

Sophie Neary , group director at Meta UK & Ireland, and Emma Abbasi , founder at Parent Promise Collective , both point to the soaring cost of childcare as a key blocker for women's advancement up the career ladder.

"Women are literally paying someone else for the privilege of coming to work in our companies," Neary says. She highlights research from charity Save the Children that estimates an additional ￡7.5bn would be put into the economy if women who aren't working due to unaffordable childcare were able to enter full time employment.

"Simply put, support working mothers and the economy will grow," she says .

"Mums are a lot more capable than people give them credit for," says Jarvis . "[Yet] 77% of women report that they had a negative/discriminatory experience during pregnancy, maternity leave and on returning to work."

Jarvis also points to a lack of support around women's health in general at work, and says that "personalised support has a bigger impact than generic support that targets nobody". She says organisations should "offer specific support for women's health concerns such as menstruation, hormone health, reproductive health and menopause. These are not niche".

Kate Usher - Speaker/Trainer/Coach/Consultant , menopause and gender equity consultant, agrees – and points to menopause as a big factor in why women's career progression seems to halt once they reach a certain age.?

"[Menopause] occurs just as we enter the power years of our career," she tells LinkedIn News UK. "It is a business issue which sits firmly inside DE&I. If a business wants to benefit from having women in its senior leadership team, menopause support, awareness and strategies are a strategic issue that cannot be ignored."

Watch Kate Usher's Live conversation with LinkedIn News UK here:

What actions are needed from businesses?

Usher and Awonuga both say that visibility is part of the solution to seeing more women move up into leadership roles – but action on getting women the opportunities they need is vital too.

"Ensure women have sponsors and not just mentors, who will actively promote them for key roles and projects. Investigate and challenge homogenised teams, and not accept old tropes around a lack of suitable female candidates," Usher says.

"You can't be what you can't see," Awonuga says. "Invest in professional development, create stretch opportunities that allow depth and growth, offer ex-officio roles to gain board experience and knowledge and nurture pipeline talent."

Neary says businesses too often try to fit women into the current system, rather than being agile. "More diverse leadership makes more profitable companies," she says. "It's about time we fixed the system rather than trying to fix women to fit the system."

Mair believes that listening to women, and then putting their advice and insights into action, is essential. "Creating an equitable workplace means listening to what is needed … then working together leveraging the lived experience and strategic experience, and then trying it," she says. "This has to be a yearly, if not more often, process."

What do you think needs to be done to see more women progress into leadership roles? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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By: Emma Hudson , news editor at LinkedIn News UK