GITNUXREPORT 2025

Glass Ceiling Statistics

Women face significant barriers; leadership representation remains critically low worldwide.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

Women are 50% less likely than men to be promoted to senior management within the first year of employment

Statistic 2

Women are 1.7 times more likely to face workplace harassment, contributing to advancement barriers

Statistic 3

The likelihood of women leaving their jobs because of a glass ceiling barrier is 30% higher than men

Statistic 4

60% of women report feeling overlooked for promotions due to gender bias

Statistic 5

The "glass ceiling" limits the advancement of women into CEO roles by approximately 25%

Statistic 6

Women face a 40% greater challenge than men in achieving upper management roles due to societal expectations

Statistic 7

Women of all ages face an average of 18% more barriers to leadership compared to men, according to global surveys

Statistic 8

Women in middle management face a 22% higher failure rate in promotion than men, impeding upward mobility

Statistic 9

Women face a 1.5 times higher likelihood of career stagnation due to gender biases, according to corporate surveys

Statistic 10

Women of age 30-50 are most affected by glass ceiling effects, with 60% reporting career stalls

Statistic 11

75% of women experience gender bias in the workplace

Statistic 12

35% of women say they have experienced workforce discrimination

Statistic 13

Women’s career advancement is hindered by pervasive stereotypes, with 65% of workplaces citing gender bias as a barrier

Statistic 14

Women are 2.3 times more likely than men to lose a job due to workplace discrimination

Statistic 15

Gender bias training impacts only 20% of employees positively regarding promotion opportunities

Statistic 16

The retention rate of women in senior leadership drops by 14% after facing gender bias backlash

Statistic 17

69% of women report experiencing acts of gender-based discrimination at work, acknowledging pervasive barriers

Statistic 18

Gender stereotypes account for up to 70% of obstacles women face in leadership pathways, according to social research

Statistic 19

Gender gap in pay remains at approximately 20%

Statistic 20

Women in the workforce face a 15-20% pay gap compared to men

Statistic 21

Women earn on average 82 cents for every dollar earned by men

Statistic 22

Women in leadership roles tend to earn approximately 80% of what men earn, even when controlling for experience

Statistic 23

Globally, women in the workforce earn on average 65% of what men do, due to gendered pay disparities

Statistic 24

Women’s median income in leadership roles is 83% of men’s, showing persistent pay inequality

Statistic 25

Women represent only 29% of senior management roles globally

Statistic 26

Only 8% of CEOs in major companies are women

Statistic 27

Women hold 27% of managerial positions worldwide

Statistic 28

In STEM fields, women occupy only 28% of jobs

Statistic 29

The "glass ceiling" concept was first introduced in the 1980s

Statistic 30

Women make up 45% of the American workforce but hold only 21% of executive roles

Statistic 31

Women of color face higher barriers in reaching senior leadership with only 4% of C-suite roles held by Black women

Statistic 32

Internationally, women’s representation on boards is 20% on average

Statistic 33

The number of women holding CEO positions in Fortune 500 companies is less than 10%

Statistic 34

In the tech industry, women hold only 25% of jobs

Statistic 35

Only 17% of women are part of the executive committee in the largest companies worldwide

Statistic 36

Female representation in politics is only 26%, indicative of broader glass ceiling effects

Statistic 37

Women’s labor force participation rate in developed countries is around 60%, but still lower than men's

Statistic 38

Only 6% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women

Statistic 39

Women account for 43% of the global workforce but lack proportional representation in leadership

Statistic 40

28% of board seats in major corporations are held by women

Statistic 41

Female entrepreneurs face a 27% lower access to funding than male entrepreneurs, hampering economic leadership progression

Statistic 42

Women's representation in science and engineering leadership is only 16%

Statistic 43

The percentage of women in senior leadership roles increases by only 1-2% annually, indicating slow progress

Statistic 44

Women account for 35% of managerial positions in Asia-Pacific but less than 10% in the Middle East

Statistic 45

Only 23% of women in corporate boards worldwide are women of color, contributing to intersectional glass ceiling issues

Statistic 46

Women in leadership roles report 25% higher job satisfaction when supported by diversity policies

Statistic 47

70% of women executives believe that mentorship programs reduce barriers to reaching the top

Statistic 48

Only 12% of women company founders have access to substantial venture capital funding, limiting entrepreneurial leadership growth

Statistic 49

Companies with higher gender diversity are 15% more likely to outperform their competitors financially

Statistic 50

Only 4% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women of color, highlighting intersectional barriers

Statistic 51

Women’s participation in executive training programs is 35% lower than men’s, limiting leadership development

Statistic 52

Women’s representation on corporate boards remains stagnant at around 20% over the past decade, indicating slow change

Statistic 53

Women’s representation in top 1000 companies’ executive roles worldwide is only 14%

Slide 1 of 53

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Key Highlights

Women represent only 29% of senior management roles globally
75% of women experience gender bias in the workplace
Only 8% of CEOs in major companies are women
Gender gap in pay remains at approximately 20%
Women hold 27% of managerial positions worldwide
In STEM fields, women occupy only 28% of jobs
Women in the workforce face a 15-20% pay gap compared to men
The "glass ceiling" concept was first introduced in the 1980s
Women make up 45% of the American workforce but hold only 21% of executive roles
Women of color face higher barriers in reaching senior leadership with only 4% of C-suite roles held by Black women
Internationally, women’s representation on boards is 20% on average
The number of women holding CEO positions in Fortune 500 companies is less than 10%
Women are 50% less likely than men to be promoted to senior management within the first year of employment

Despite making up nearly half of the global workforce, women still hold less than 30% of senior management roles worldwide, revealing a persistent and pervasive glass ceiling that continues to hinder gender equality in the workplace.

Career Progression and Advancement Barriers

Women are 50% less likely than men to be promoted to senior management within the first year of employment
Women are 1.7 times more likely to face workplace harassment, contributing to advancement barriers
The likelihood of women leaving their jobs because of a glass ceiling barrier is 30% higher than men
60% of women report feeling overlooked for promotions due to gender bias
The "glass ceiling" limits the advancement of women into CEO roles by approximately 25%
Women face a 40% greater challenge than men in achieving upper management roles due to societal expectations
Women of all ages face an average of 18% more barriers to leadership compared to men, according to global surveys
Women in middle management face a 22% higher failure rate in promotion than men, impeding upward mobility
Women face a 1.5 times higher likelihood of career stagnation due to gender biases, according to corporate surveys
Women of age 30-50 are most affected by glass ceiling effects, with 60% reporting career stalls

Career Progression and Advancement Barriers Interpretation

Despite constituting half the workforce, women still encounter a labyrinth of bias, harassment, and societal expectations that collectively raise their barrier to leadership about 40% higher than men's, illustrating that the glass ceiling is more than transparent—it's smudged with systemic inequalities that stifle progress from the first promotion to the CEO suite.

Gender Bias, Stereotypes, and Workplace Culture

75% of women experience gender bias in the workplace
35% of women say they have experienced workforce discrimination
Women’s career advancement is hindered by pervasive stereotypes, with 65% of workplaces citing gender bias as a barrier
Women are 2.3 times more likely than men to lose a job due to workplace discrimination
Gender bias training impacts only 20% of employees positively regarding promotion opportunities
The retention rate of women in senior leadership drops by 14% after facing gender bias backlash
69% of women report experiencing acts of gender-based discrimination at work, acknowledging pervasive barriers
Gender stereotypes account for up to 70% of obstacles women face in leadership pathways, according to social research

Gender Bias, Stereotypes, and Workplace Culture Interpretation

Despite increasing awareness, the stark reality remains: a staggering 75% of women face gender bias, with stereotypes and discrimination acting as relentless barriers—reminding us that workplace equality still has a long way to go, even in arenas aiming for progress.

Gender Pay Gap and Compensation Disparities

Gender gap in pay remains at approximately 20%
Women in the workforce face a 15-20% pay gap compared to men
Women earn on average 82 cents for every dollar earned by men
Women in leadership roles tend to earn approximately 80% of what men earn, even when controlling for experience
Globally, women in the workforce earn on average 65% of what men do, due to gendered pay disparities
Women’s median income in leadership roles is 83% of men’s, showing persistent pay inequality

Gender Pay Gap and Compensation Disparities Interpretation

Despite decades of progress, the glass ceiling still shimmers with a 20% pay gap, reminding us that equality remains more of an aspiration than a reality.

Workforce Representation and Leadership

Women represent only 29% of senior management roles globally
Only 8% of CEOs in major companies are women
Women hold 27% of managerial positions worldwide
In STEM fields, women occupy only 28% of jobs
The "glass ceiling" concept was first introduced in the 1980s
Women make up 45% of the American workforce but hold only 21% of executive roles
Women of color face higher barriers in reaching senior leadership with only 4% of C-suite roles held by Black women
Internationally, women’s representation on boards is 20% on average
The number of women holding CEO positions in Fortune 500 companies is less than 10%
In the tech industry, women hold only 25% of jobs
Only 17% of women are part of the executive committee in the largest companies worldwide
Female representation in politics is only 26%, indicative of broader glass ceiling effects
Women’s labor force participation rate in developed countries is around 60%, but still lower than men's
Only 6% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women
Women account for 43% of the global workforce but lack proportional representation in leadership
28% of board seats in major corporations are held by women
Female entrepreneurs face a 27% lower access to funding than male entrepreneurs, hampering economic leadership progression
Women's representation in science and engineering leadership is only 16%
The percentage of women in senior leadership roles increases by only 1-2% annually, indicating slow progress
Women account for 35% of managerial positions in Asia-Pacific but less than 10% in the Middle East
Only 23% of women in corporate boards worldwide are women of color, contributing to intersectional glass ceiling issues
Women in leadership roles report 25% higher job satisfaction when supported by diversity policies
70% of women executives believe that mentorship programs reduce barriers to reaching the top
Only 12% of women company founders have access to substantial venture capital funding, limiting entrepreneurial leadership growth
Companies with higher gender diversity are 15% more likely to outperform their competitors financially
Only 4% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women of color, highlighting intersectional barriers
Women’s participation in executive training programs is 35% lower than men’s, limiting leadership development
Women’s representation on corporate boards remains stagnant at around 20% over the past decade, indicating slow change
Women’s representation in top 1000 companies’ executive roles worldwide is only 14%

Workforce Representation and Leadership Interpretation

Despite women comprising nearly half of the global workforce and demonstrating proven leadership potential, the persistent glass ceiling ensures that less than a third reach senior management, reflecting a stark disconnect between talent and opportunity that continues to hinder gender equity in leadership worldwide.