Nearly three-quarters (73%) of senior executives believe that by 2030, women will occupy equal numbers with men in top positions in most global companies. However, most C-level executives (including CEOs) (56%) state that their companies have not yet set concrete goals that will actually achieve these expectations. Only four in ten (39%) have identified gender diversity within the senior management layer as a high business priority, ranking it at number 7 in the top 10 corporate priorities. This is shown by global research by Weber Shandwick.
The 'push' factors revealed by the study are the following:
· More than two-thirds of executives (68%) have seen an increase in media attention, including social media, for the gender equality issue, which in turn generates public attention. This perception corresponds to reality:since 2010, the number of articles about female CEOs has more than tripled worldwide.
· “Improving our ability to attract and retain talented women” is the primary reason given for participating in corporate gender equality initiatives.
· Of executives involved in efforts to promote gender equality, 38% acknowledge that cross-gender perspectives lead to better financial performance.
Executives cite stakeholder influence as the biggest factor exerting pressure to achieve gender equality in senior positions.
· Women who are not employed at C-level aspire to such a position more than their male colleagues (76% vs. 56%).
Three quarters of Millennials (76%) say C-level gender equality is important to them, significantly more than Generation X (44%) and Baby Boomers (48%).
