Key Takeaways
- In US higher education, women comprised 30.1% of university presidents in 2023, up from 23% in 2016
- Women held 45.7% of full professor positions in US academia in 2023, per NSF data
- In the UK, 27.5% of vice-chancellors at Russell Group universities were women in 2023
- In 2023, women held 10.8% of C-suite positions in S&P 500 companies, with CFO roles at 16.5%
- Globally, only 8.8% of Fortune Global 500 CEOs were women in 2023, totaling 44 female CEOs
- In the UK, women comprised 15.2% of FTSE 350 CEOs in 2023, a slight decline from 2022 peaks
- In 2023, women held 33.7% of board seats at S&P 500 companies, up from 30.0% in 2022
- Globally, women accounted for 28% of board members in 2023 according to the MSCI Women on Boards report, marking steady progress since 2019
- In the UK, women comprised 40.3% of FTSE 100 board positions as of September 2023, exceeding the 33% target set by the Hampton-Alexander Review
- In 2023, 12.4% of unicorn startup CEOs were women globally, totaling 83 female-led unicorns
- Women founded 20.5% of US venture-backed startups that reached $1B valuation by 2023
- In Europe, women-led startups received only 0.7% of VC funding in 2023, per Dealroom data
- In 2023, women held 27% of senior leadership roles at the World Economic Forum
- UN agencies had 35.2% women in Under-Secretary-General positions in 2023
- Fortune Global 500 had 11% women on executive committees in 2023 excluding CEOs
Women are gaining leadership roles globally, but corporate and tech boards still lag behind.
Academic Leadership
Academic Leadership Interpretation
C-Suite Executives
C-Suite Executives Interpretation
Corporate Boards
Corporate Boards Interpretation
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship Interpretation
Global Leadership
Global Leadership Interpretation
Non-Profit Leadership
Non-Profit Leadership Interpretation
Political Leadership
Political Leadership Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
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.
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
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
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
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). Women In Leadership Roles Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/women-in-leadership-roles-statistics
Rachel Svensson. "Women In Leadership Roles Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/women-in-leadership-roles-statistics.
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "Women In Leadership Roles Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/women-in-leadership-roles-statistics.
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