Despite progress, women still face obstacles in reaching leadership roles due to bias, societal norms, and structural barriers, said Aditi Jha, board member, LinkedIn India

Mumbai: Hiring of women for leadership roles has increased to 23.2 per cent across sectors in early 2024 even though employers are yet to achieve gender parity in top management, a report said on Thursday.

Women leadership hires have shown significant growth over the years to 23.2 per cent in early 2024, increasing from 18.8 per cent in 2016 to peaking at 25.2 per cent in 2021, according to a joint report by professional networking platform LinkedIn and public policy consulting firm the Quantum Hub – ‘Women in Leadership in Corporate India’. The report has utilised insights from LinkedIn’s Economic Graph data, based on self-reported data available on the LinkedIn platform from across sectors.

LinkedIn economic graph data showed that there has been an overall increase in women employees across the workforce, rising from 23.9 per cent in 2016 to 26.8 per cent in 2024. The percentage of women in senior leadership roles increased from 16.6 per cent in 2016 to 18.7 per cent in 2023, but it has dipped slightly to 18.3 per cent in 2024, which might correct by the end of the year.

“LinkedIn Economic Graph data shows that despite progress, women still face obstacles in reaching leadership roles due to bias, societal norms, and structural barriers. However, recent focus on ‘women-led development’ has led to concerted efforts by both policymakers and business leaders to tackle these challenges,” LinkedIn India Board Member, Country Head: Legal and Government Affairs, Aditi Jha added.