Datanomics: Women see limited gains in top jobs as pay gaps persist

Progress for women in leadership is visible-but slow, uneven, and still constrained by gaps in pay and participation

The latest Women and Men 2026 report shows that while women are making inroads into leadership roles, the gains remain limited. Across boardrooms, management positions and earnings, the pace of change is gradual rather than transformative. Pay gaps continue to persist even at the highest levels. At the same time, low workforce participation among women continues to shape these outcomes. 

 

Limited gains in women’s leadership presence 

Women’s representation in corporate boards has inched up from 25.8 per cent in 2017 to 29.1 per cent in 2025, with similar incremental rises across management roles. However, their share in senior management remains sharply skewed at just over 17 per cent. 

Pay gap persists among senior executives 

Average salaries of executive directors continue to favour men, with the gap widening in recent years. In 2022-23, men in these positions earned 7.6 crore compared to 4.8 crore for women, showing that even limited gains in representation have not translated into pay parity. 

Participation gap continues to constrain outcomes 

Women’s labour force participation has risen from 23.4 per cent in 2018 to 40 per cent in 2025, but remains far below men at nearly 80 per cent. This persistent gap highlights how limited gains in participation continue to feed into disparities in leadership and earnings.