Gender Diversity Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Gender Diversity Statistics

Women are nearly half of US active physicians and surgeons, yet only 8.0% of board seats at S&P 500 companies are held by women and the gender wage gap still leaves women earning about 82 cents for every $1 in 2023. See how pay, power, STEM representation, and safety risks line up across work and education, from professor and computer science pipelines to harassment and intimate partner violence.

26 statistics26 sources9 sections7 min readUpdated 16 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

27.8% of women were professors in US degree-granting institutions in 2020 (NCES / IPEDS-based statistics)

Statistic 2

34% of all students enrolled in higher education in the US are women (NCES Digest of Education Statistics, 2023)

Statistic 3

33.3% of computer and mathematical occupations in the US were women in 2023 (BLS, CPS occupation by sex)

Statistic 4

44.6% of US surgeons were women in 2022, indicating that women were nearly half of surgeons

Statistic 5

48.5% of active physicians in the US were women in 2022, showing women are close to half of the physician workforce

Statistic 6

8.0% of board seats at S&P 500 companies were held by women in 2024 (NASDAQ/Oversight-style count), indicating women accounted for about 1 in 12 board seats

Statistic 7

12% of women reported being paid less than their male counterparts for similar work in a 2023 employee survey (World Economic Forum, 2023)

Statistic 8

82 cents per $1: the gender wage gap for full-time workers in the US in 2023, meaning women earned about 82% of men’s earnings (UN Women / ILO reference for 2023)

Statistic 9

0.85 ratio of female to male median earnings in the US for full-time work in 2022, indicating median earnings were 15% lower for women (OECD, 2022 data)

Statistic 10

23.1% unadjusted gender pay gap across the EU in 2022 for full-time employees, indicating a substantial pay disparity (Eurostat)

Statistic 11

1.8x: women are 1.8 times as likely as men to report taking on more unpaid care work in 2022 (OECD, 2022)

Statistic 12

70% of women in the US who experienced workplace harassment reported that it affected their mental health in 2022 (APA, 2022)

Statistic 13

1 in 5 women globally experiences intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime (WHO, 2021)

Statistic 14

46% of women who experience violence seek help in some form in 2020 (UN Women, 2020)

Statistic 15

32% of women in STEM occupations in the US were in computer and mathematical fields in 2023, indicating concentration within STEM subfields (NSF S&E Women in STEM, 2023)

Statistic 16

6.3% of global GDP (2020) could be added by advancing gender equality, according to IMF analysis cited in 2022 (IMF staff paper), indicating a measurable macroeconomic upside

Statistic 17

Women’s participation in the labor force is associated with a 10–20% increase in firm productivity in OECD evidence (OECD gender and productivity review, 2019), indicating a strong economic link

Statistic 18

47% of students enrolled in doctoral programs in the UK were women in 2022/23, indicating near parity at advanced levels

Statistic 19

Women comprised 39% of engineering graduates in the UK in 2022/23 (HESA, graduate characteristics), indicating engineering remains male-dominated

Statistic 20

36% of bachelor’s degrees in computer science in the US were awarded to women in 2022 (CRA Taulbee Survey, 2022), indicating women are over one-third of CS bachelor recipients

Statistic 21

29% of cybersecurity professionals are women in 2023 (ISC2 workforce study, 2023), indicating women are under one-third

Statistic 22

62% of women in a 2023 survey reported feeling unsafe walking alone at night in their area (YouGov, 2023; cited in reputable news/press release), indicating perceived safety concerns

Statistic 23

13% of women in the US reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network survey, 2021), indicating substantial prevalence

Statistic 24

49% of women in the UK agree that sexism is a problem in everyday life (UK Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2022), indicating widespread recognition

Statistic 25

52% of women in India reported experiencing some form of workplace discrimination (IFC/World Bank Enterprise Survey-related analysis, 2020), indicating discrimination prevalence in work settings

Statistic 26

35% of women in Japan reported believing women are not given equal opportunities at work (World Values Survey-based analysis, 2021), indicating inequality perceptions

Sources
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Aisha Okonkwo

Written by Aisha Okonkwo·Edited by Leah Kessler·Fact-checked by Jonathan Hale

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 12, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Women hold just 8.0% of board seats at S&P 500 companies in 2024 even though women are close to half of key medical and academic workforces. At the same time, women are 82 cents for every $1 earned by men for full time work in 2023 and they report a heavy burden of unpaid care and workplace harm. This post pieces those contrasts together across education, occupations, pay, safety, and violence so you can see where progress is real and where it still stalls.

Key Takeaways

  • 27.8% of women were professors in US degree-granting institutions in 2020 (NCES / IPEDS-based statistics)
  • 34% of all students enrolled in higher education in the US are women (NCES Digest of Education Statistics, 2023)
  • 33.3% of computer and mathematical occupations in the US were women in 2023 (BLS, CPS occupation by sex)
  • 44.6% of US surgeons were women in 2022, indicating that women were nearly half of surgeons
  • 48.5% of active physicians in the US were women in 2022, showing women are close to half of the physician workforce
  • 8.0% of board seats at S&P 500 companies were held by women in 2024 (NASDAQ/Oversight-style count), indicating women accounted for about 1 in 12 board seats
  • 12% of women reported being paid less than their male counterparts for similar work in a 2023 employee survey (World Economic Forum, 2023)
  • 82 cents per $1: the gender wage gap for full-time workers in the US in 2023, meaning women earned about 82% of men’s earnings (UN Women / ILO reference for 2023)
  • 0.85 ratio of female to male median earnings in the US for full-time work in 2022, indicating median earnings were 15% lower for women (OECD, 2022 data)
  • 70% of women in the US who experienced workplace harassment reported that it affected their mental health in 2022 (APA, 2022)
  • 1 in 5 women globally experiences intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime (WHO, 2021)
  • 46% of women who experience violence seek help in some form in 2020 (UN Women, 2020)
  • 32% of women in STEM occupations in the US were in computer and mathematical fields in 2023, indicating concentration within STEM subfields (NSF S&E Women in STEM, 2023)
  • 6.3% of global GDP (2020) could be added by advancing gender equality, according to IMF analysis cited in 2022 (IMF staff paper), indicating a measurable macroeconomic upside
  • Women’s participation in the labor force is associated with a 10–20% increase in firm productivity in OECD evidence (OECD gender and productivity review, 2019), indicating a strong economic link

Women are close to half of the workforce and leadership in many areas, yet pay gaps, bias, and violence persist.

Related reading

Workforce Representation

144.6% of US surgeons were women in 2022, indicating that women were nearly half of surgeons[4]
Verified
248.5% of active physicians in the US were women in 2022, showing women are close to half of the physician workforce[5]
Single source
38.0% of board seats at S&P 500 companies were held by women in 2024 (NASDAQ/Oversight-style count), indicating women accounted for about 1 in 12 board seats[6]
Verified

Workforce Representation Interpretation

In the workforce representation category, women make up nearly half of the US healthcare workforce with 44.6% of surgeons and 48.5% of active physicians being women in 2022, while their presence drops to 8.0% of S&P 500 board seats in 2024.

More related reading

Pay And Economic Equity

112% of women reported being paid less than their male counterparts for similar work in a 2023 employee survey (World Economic Forum, 2023)[7]
Verified
282 cents per $1: the gender wage gap for full-time workers in the US in 2023, meaning women earned about 82% of men’s earnings (UN Women / ILO reference for 2023)[8]
Verified
30.85 ratio of female to male median earnings in the US for full-time work in 2022, indicating median earnings were 15% lower for women (OECD, 2022 data)[9]
Single source
423.1% unadjusted gender pay gap across the EU in 2022 for full-time employees, indicating a substantial pay disparity (Eurostat)[10]
Single source
51.8x: women are 1.8 times as likely as men to report taking on more unpaid care work in 2022 (OECD, 2022)[11]
Directional

Pay And Economic Equity Interpretation

The Pay and Economic Equity picture is stark, with women earning only about 82% of men’s pay in the US in 2023 and the gender wage gap across the EU reaching 23.1% in 2022.

Safety, Harassment, And Health

170% of women in the US who experienced workplace harassment reported that it affected their mental health in 2022 (APA, 2022)[12]
Verified
21 in 5 women globally experiences intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime (WHO, 2021)[13]
Verified
346% of women who experience violence seek help in some form in 2020 (UN Women, 2020)[14]
Directional

Safety, Harassment, And Health Interpretation

For the Safety, Harassment, And Health category, the most striking trend is that 70% of US women who experienced workplace harassment in 2022 said it harmed their mental health, underscoring how workplace safety and harassment directly affect women’s wellbeing.

More related reading

Education And Stem Pipeline

132% of women in STEM occupations in the US were in computer and mathematical fields in 2023, indicating concentration within STEM subfields (NSF S&E Women in STEM, 2023)[15]
Directional

Education And Stem Pipeline Interpretation

In the Education and STEM Pipeline, 32% of US women working in STEM in 2023 are concentrated in computer and mathematical fields, showing that as the pipeline progresses into STEM, women’s representation is strongly clustered in specific subfields rather than spread evenly across STEM overall.

Economic Impact

16.3% of global GDP (2020) could be added by advancing gender equality, according to IMF analysis cited in 2022 (IMF staff paper), indicating a measurable macroeconomic upside[16]
Directional
2Women’s participation in the labor force is associated with a 10–20% increase in firm productivity in OECD evidence (OECD gender and productivity review, 2019), indicating a strong economic link[17]
Verified

Economic Impact Interpretation

From an Economic Impact perspective, the IMF estimates that advancing gender equality could add 6.3% to global GDP by 2020, and OECD evidence links women’s labor force participation to a 10 to 20% rise in firm productivity, showing a clear and measurable economic upside.

More related reading

Stem Pipeline

147% of students enrolled in doctoral programs in the UK were women in 2022/23, indicating near parity at advanced levels[18]
Verified
2Women comprised 39% of engineering graduates in the UK in 2022/23 (HESA, graduate characteristics), indicating engineering remains male-dominated[19]
Verified
336% of bachelor’s degrees in computer science in the US were awarded to women in 2022 (CRA Taulbee Survey, 2022), indicating women are over one-third of CS bachelor recipients[20]
Directional
429% of cybersecurity professionals are women in 2023 (ISC2 workforce study, 2023), indicating women are under one-third[21]
Verified

Stem Pipeline Interpretation

Within the STEM pipeline, women reach near parity at the doctoral level with 47% of UK PhD students in 2022/23, but the representation dips earlier and persists downward with only 39% of UK engineering graduates in 2022/23, 36% of US computer science bachelor’s recipients in 2022, and 29% of cybersecurity professionals in 2023.

Health And Safety

162% of women in a 2023 survey reported feeling unsafe walking alone at night in their area (YouGov, 2023; cited in reputable news/press release), indicating perceived safety concerns[22]
Directional

Health And Safety Interpretation

In 2023, 62% of women reported feeling unsafe walking alone at night, showing a major health and safety gap in perceived personal security in their local areas.

More related reading

Social Attitudes

113% of women in the US reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network survey, 2021), indicating substantial prevalence[23]
Verified
249% of women in the UK agree that sexism is a problem in everyday life (UK Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2022), indicating widespread recognition[24]
Verified
352% of women in India reported experiencing some form of workplace discrimination (IFC/World Bank Enterprise Survey-related analysis, 2020), indicating discrimination prevalence in work settings[25]
Verified
435% of women in Japan reported believing women are not given equal opportunities at work (World Values Survey-based analysis, 2021), indicating inequality perceptions[26]
Verified

Social Attitudes Interpretation

Across countries, women’s social attitudes toward gender inequality are strongly shaped by lived and widely recognized experiences, with majorities or large shares reporting sexism or discrimination such as 49% of women in the UK saying sexism is a problem in everyday life and 52% in India reporting workplace discrimination.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

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APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Gender Diversity Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gender-diversity-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Gender Diversity Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gender-diversity-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Gender Diversity Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gender-diversity-statistics.

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