Percentage of women in managerial position increases, says study

As the awareness for the rising need of women participation in business increases, there has been a visible increase in women participation around the world. According to a report by International Labour Organization, women in business and management are gaining momentum. The report states that female bosses are more common in before in different countries across the world.

According to the report, over the last 20 years women have been filling the ranks of management particularly at middle and even senior management levels. The top five ranking countries with the maximum number of women at the managerial positions are: Jamaica (59.3%), Columbia (53.1%), Saint Lucia (52.3%), Philippines (47.6%) and Panama (47.4%).

The data also suggests that women’s labour market participation rates are generally higher than their share of management jobs. But still, women are gradually increasing their numbers as managers. In 23 countries the increase was by 7 per cent or more, whereas in some, the percentage of women in managerial positions went down, despite an increase in their labour force participation and an increase in education.

Women are currently overtaking men in the education sector but according to a report by UNESCO, women face considerable barriers as they move up the education ladder. These findings are bitter sweet yet; the advancement of women in the last few years can’t be ignored. There has also been a high increase in women’s purchasing power in the past, which makes the involvement of women in the production process extremely vital.

The report concludes: “Women business owners are mostly concentrated in small and micro businesses. Still less than 5 per cent of CEOs of the largest global corporations are women. The higher up the corporate ladder and the larger the organization, the fewer the women. The ‘glass ceiling” is still intact. Women are succeeding as high-level administrators, human resources and public relations managers. But ‘glass walls’ prevent them taking up strategic management positions leading to the top.”

ORIGINAL SOURCE: International Labour Organization

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