Feature
Flashback to 1979. Sylvia Ann Hewitt, a junior professor of economics at Barnard College in New York City, feared that her problematic pregnancy might derail her tenure track. Seeking advice, she approached her dean, only to be told that she wasn’t entitled to a leave of absence and that taking time off “would have dire consequences.”
While things are much better for working women today, whether or not they are parents, disparities remain between their opportunities and those of their male counterparts. A new report, "Women in the Workplace 2024," researched and published by LeanIn and McKinsey & Company, underscores the gap. The data came from 281 organizations employing over 10 million people, a survey of more than 15,000 employees and interviews with people of diverse identities, including women of color, LGBTQ+ women and women with disabilities. Now in its tenth year, it’s the largest study on the state of women in corporate America.
There’s both good and not-so-good news from the survey: employers are on the right track, but there’s still a long way to go.
“At the current rate, it will take 50 years for women in corporate America to reach parity with men,” Caroline Fairchild, LeanIn’s vice president of education and research and editor-in-chief, told Reworked. And while compensation is just one area where employers need to improve, “Progress, though fragile, has been made,” she added.
Women in the Workplace: The Long View
While the long-term trends are encouraging, a closer look at recent data reveals both progress and persistent challenges.
An analysis of the data gathered over the last decade (1,000 companies have participated, and over 480,000 people were surveyed) shows that women have made important gains at every level of the corporate pipeline, particularly in senior leadership. This progress overall is more than just a feel-good story; research shows that companies with more female leaders see better innovation, healthier workplace cultures and stronger overall performance.
“The workplace for women today isn’t perfect, but the change is palpable,” said Fairchild. “There are more women at the table, and our voices carry more weight.”
Related Article: Why Women May Not Want to Advance Their Careers in Your Organization
The Short View
Progress didn’t come easily. According to this year’s report, women now hold 29% of C-suite positions, up from 17% in 2015. The gains come from over a decade of “persistence, pushing, and prodding” to set a greater number of women up to win.
The data also shows promising trends for women overall, including strides made by women of color. However, that doesn’t mean they will catch up anytime soon as they started from much further behind. For women in general, a greater number of employers have overhauled their playbooks — de-biasing hiring practices and offering flexible work arrangements.
Fairchild raises a point worth noting: “Not everyone is set up equally to succeed. More women need to be offered stretch assignments, learning opportunities and access to sponsors and mentors.”
Is the Progress Sustainable?
Encouraging as the progress may seem, it may not be sustainable. While we see more women in senior positions today, much of this change is due to shifts in organizational structures rather than true advancements in gender equity, said Fairchild. She explained that women's increased presence in the C-suite is largely tied to new staff roles (e.g., Chief Diversity Officer, Chief Learning Officer), which can't expand indefinitely, rather than fundamental changes in leadership practices. At the same time, there's been a reduction in operational roles, such as logistics executives and supply chain leaders, which are traditionally male-dominated.
This structural shift, while positive in the short term, may mask underlying issues in gender equity across all levels of organizations. Without addressing these fundamental challenges, the progress we're seeing may plateau or even regress.
The report also suggests that too few women will reach leadership roles at the prime of their careers, primarily because the first rung of the career ladder is broken. For every 100 men promoted to management early in their careers, only 80 women advance at the same pace. This disparity at the entry level creates a ripple effect that impacts women's representation at higher levels of leadership for years to come.
"If you want more women in leadership, they need to be promoted to managerial roles sooner," Fairchild said.
Moreover, while most companies now offer support for parents, caregivers and employees facing health issues, the report cautions that progress remains fragile. There's also a risk of senior-level, white men expressing optimism about women's advancement without fully recognizing the data showing continued challenges. This misalignment between perception and reality could lead to complacency and a slowdown in efforts to achieve true gender parity.
"We don't notice when we are included. Inclusion is measured by measuring exclusion," said Fairchild. Men need to recognize this because in order for things to improve for women, men need to be on board. "Men have a vital role in encouraging further progress," said Fairchild. What's in it for them? Studies show that when top managers support women, it helps companies change for the better, inspires younger men to care about inclusion, and companies generate better results. In other words, everyone wins.
Related Article: The Brief 'Professional Prime' for Women in the Workplace
How Do We Get From Here to There?
“Keep going, now is not the time to slow down,” said Fairchild, explaining there’s a fear that top executives will decide that the progress made thus far is enough and the job is done.
Conference
Sep
16
HR Tech Conference Las Vegas 2025
Register
Conference
Oct
27
Gartner HR Symposium/Xpo Orlando 2025
Register
But that isn't the case. The authors of the report urge employers to act on the policies identified by research: hire and promote people fairly, help managers guide careers and create positive team cultures, and teach employees to avoid bias and support one another. Consistency is key in explaining why new initiatives are important, teaching employees the skills they need, providing support and showing good examples.
Only one in four companies have done this according to survey results. One successful implementation mentioned involves Pfizer. The life sciences company judges managers based not only on results but also how well they implement company values, like excellence and equity. Performance ratings now focus on how managers achieve those results by measuring their positive impact on their teams. To insure objectivity, the authors of the report recommend appointing people to watch for bias.
To sum it all up Fairchild offered this. “Diversity is being invited to a party. Inclusion is being asked to dance. Equity is what we want.”
