The Leadership Gap: Equality in Leadership Still Falls Short

Women may hold talent, ambition, and skill, yet across business, industry, justice, politics, and other influential sectors, they remain severely under-represented in senior leadership. This is not due to lack of potential, it is the result of systemic barriers, cultural biases, and structures that gatekeep power. The leadership gap is not just unjust, it makes the economy weaker, democracy poorer, and visions narrower. See the data here

Women in Corporate Leadership: Progress, but Plateaus

In 2024, women held 43% of FTSE 350 board roles, a significant rise from under 10% in 2011 but still short of parity, and progress is slowing (GOV.UK). Female representation in leadership teams executive committees and their direct reports stood at around 35% (GOV.UK). Yet female CEOs remain rare, with roughly 21 women heading FTSE 100 and 250 companies combined (FTSE Women Leaders).

The FTSE Women Leaders Review indicates businesses are unlikely to meet the voluntary target of 40% female executives across FTSE 350 companies by 2025, with just 35% in 2024 (Financial Times). In fact, the number of women on executive committees has declined for the first time in eight years (The Guardian).

Financial services often seen as progressive are lagging. Only 81 female executive directors are found among FTSE 350 companies, and leadership teams average just 37% women. Firms such as Barclays, Rathbones, and Jupiter fall well below that, with female leadership representation around 30% (Reuters, F N London).

This data points to a latent structural inertia in the corporate world: women may reach boards, but moving into executive leadership and top roles remains stalled or backtracking.

Politics, Public Life, and Regulatory Power

Women's representation in Parliament has risen over the decades, yet remains far from parity. As of recent counts, approximately 40% of House of Commons and 30% of House of Lords members are women (Women in Politics and Public Life). However, current Cabinet Membership (August 2025) under Labour is 48%, while across the government as a whole, female ministers are the majority with 60 (Institute for Government).

The Justice System: Law, Courts, and Professional Barriers

The legal profession seems gender-balanced in numbers, but senior leadership remains male-dominated. While 60% of solicitors are women as at 2023, only around 37% of partners in UK firms were women (SRA). And at the very top, only 17% (2 out of 12) Supreme Court Judges are women (The Supreme Court | Justices).

The pipeline may be full of women, but top positions remain elusive. Gendered assumptions, inflexible career paths, and partnership models that fail to account for caring responsibilities continue to block progress to the top.

Women-Led Businesseses: Opportunity Yet Underfunded

Women are increasingly launching businesses. In 2022, women started over 150,000 new businesses in the UK, twice as many as in 2018, yet women-led companies received just 6% of all investment, and less than 2% of venture capital in 2023, severely limiting growth potential (Prowess, Imperial College London).

That matters for the economy: one report estimates scaling women-led enterprises at the same pace as men-led ones could add £250 billion to the UK economy (Imperial College London).

Sectoral Differneces: Energy, Manufacturing, Data

Women’s leadership remains rare in several industries. In energy companies, women occupied just 29% of board seats and 16% of executive board roles in 2024. Many energy boards had no women at all (powerfulwomen.org.uk). Globally in manufacturing leadership, women held only 19% of roles in 2022. In data and AI, women make up only 20% of professionals in the UK.

These entrenched imbalances show that higher education or early career presence is not enough. Cultural and structural exclusions continue to limit women’s advancement in traditionally male-dominated sectors.

Slipping at Mid-Career: Age, Care, and Attrition

Compounding the barriers, women tend to exit at mid-career. In UK fund management, although women represent 41% of the workforce, they make up just 8% of employees aged 50 to 64, indicating a mass exodus of experienced women due to caring responsibilities and menopause, among other factors (F N London).

Without support and flexible policies, many women do not reach senior levels, effectively limiting leadership diversity.

Structural Barriers, Bias, and Missing Opportunity

The gaps persist not for lack of evidence on the benefits of diversity, but because systemic bias endures. Women are less likely to be sponsored, mentored, or promoted through informal networks that favour men (wrc.org.uk). They are more likely to be assigned support functions rather than core business roles that lead to power (Financial Times).

This is compounded by theories that women are harder hit by imposter syndrome and umbrella theory, the theory that women are not as savvy about making sure they're seen underneath that umbrella.

Without intentional change, bias compounds over time.

The Case for Gender Diverse Leadership

Gender diverse leadership is not just fair, it is good for business and society. Companies in the top quartile for gender diverse executive teams are significantly more likely to experience above-average profitability and innovation. Organisations with more women in leadership show better growth, returns, and resilience. They also have significantly lower insolvency rates, showing greater resilience and stability. Overall, evidence shows that women-led companies are more successful, yet remain underfunded and undervalued.

What Can Be Done: Actionable Steps

Targets and Accountability

Voluntary targets like the 30% Club catalysed progress on boards, and targets for executive roles must follow. When voluntary mechanisms stall, regulation or stronger public-sector leadership may be needed.

Mentorship and Sponsorship

Structured mentorship at early career stages and sponsorship by senior leaders, all genders can support women’s progression (WRC).

Inclusive Development

Training, leadership development, and access to growth networks must be gender inclusive, especially targeting mid-career exits.

Flexible Work and Care Support

Policies must support women through caregiving, menopause, and family transitions, enabling retention and advancement rather than attrition.

Investment and Entrepreneurship

Funding ecosystems must include more women as investors and founders. Diverse panels and criteria, procurement reforms, and targeted financial support can shift the balance.

Leadership inequality must change: For women and Business

The persistent underrepresentation of women in leadership across UK domains from boardrooms to government, law, and industry is not due to lack of women’s talent, but due to systemic exclusions. Representation matters not just for fairness, but because diverse leadership produces stronger governance, smarter businesses, and a more inclusive society.

Achieving equality in leadership demands deliberate, structural change. It requires targets, culture shifts, policy innovation, mentorship, sponsorship, inclusive workplaces, and accessible funding.

The leadership gap is not inevitable. With intentional action, the UK can open its most powerful spaces to all talent, regardless of gender.

August 2025