India's 'broken rung': What's holding women back on the corporate ladder?

Gender gaps persist in India, Nigeria, Kenya as women face barriers from entry-level to leadership, with sharp drop-offs in managerial roles, shows McKinsey report

A new McKinsey report, ‘Women in the Workplace 2025’, reveals stark gender gaps in India, Nigeria, and Kenya’s formal sectors, with India facing a critical “broken rung” hindering women’s advancement from entry-level to managerial roles. The study, based on data from 324 organisations employing 1.4 million people, highlights systemic barriers and sector-specific challenges.   

Women in India’s formal private sector face steep challenges in advancing their careers, with a significant drop in representation beginning at the first step up to managerial roles — a phenomenon widely described as the “broken rung”. Despite making up nearly half of university graduates, women remain underrepresented across higher rungs of the corporate ladder.

 

 

Early barriers, steep declines in formal private workforce

At the entry-level, women account for 33 per cent of roles, a stark contrast to their 48 per cent share among university graduates. However, this proportion falls sharply at the managerial level, where women hold just 24 per cent of roles. Men are reportedly 2.1 times more likely to be promoted at this stage, highlighting systemic gender disparities in advancement opportunities.

The gender gap widens further at the top. Only 17 per cent of C-suite positions in India’s private sector are occupied by women, underscoring the limited access to senior leadership for female professionals. 

Age also plays a role in skewing representation. Women tend to enter the workforce significantly later than their male counterparts, with a seven-year average age gap — women at 39 years versus men at 32 — at the entry-level.   

 

  The disparities are even more pronounced in certain sectors. In financial services, women make up 31 per cent of entry-level roles but only 13 per cent of C-suite positions. The legal profession shows a similar decline, with women comprising 51 per cent of entry-level roles but only 32 per cent in senior leadership. 

The data underscores persistent structural barriers that hinder women’s career progression in India’s formal private workforce, calling attention to the urgent need for targeted policy and organisational reforms.

 

Nigeria’s workforce: Entry-level bottlenecks

The analysis of Nigeria’s workforce dynamics reveals that the country’s gender gap in employment is largely driven by disparities at the entry-level hiring stage, rather than a lack of advancement for women already in the workforce. 

At the entry point, women occupy just 33 per cent of available roles. This under-representation remains relatively steady through the career ladder, with women holding 29 per cent of managerial and senior positions — suggesting that the primary barrier to gender parity lies in initial recruitment practices, not in promotion rates or career progression. 

Interestingly, data shows that senior-level women are more likely to receive promotions than their male counterparts. However, this is offset by higher rates of attrition and lateral moves among female professionals, signalling potential workplace challenges that may compel women to exit or shift roles. 

The financial services sector highlights this pattern starkly. While women account for 47 per cent of entry-level positions in the industry, their representation drops significantly to 28 per cent at the senior level.

The findings point to a pressing need for Nigerian employers to revisit recruitment strategies and address systemic barriers to entry for women if true gender equity is to be achieved in the professional landscape.

 

Kenya’s dual challenge in gender disparity

Kenya continues to grapple with persistent gender disparities across both its public and private sectors, as new data highlights a troubling decline in women’s representation at senior leadership levels. 

In the private sector, women comprise 40 per cent of entry-level positions but their numbers steadily diminish along the corporate ladder, dropping to just 28 per cent in C-suite roles. This trend suggests systemic barriers that disproportionately hinder women’s advancement at the managerial and senior levels. 

A similar pattern is observed in the public sector. While women hold 46 per cent of entry-level government jobs, their representation falls sharply to 27 per cent in senior positions, underscoring the challenges of gender parity in decision-making roles. 

 

The healthcare sector, often viewed as a more gender-balanced field, also reflects this downward trajectory. Women make up 55 per cent of entry-level roles but account for only 39 per cent of executive positions. 

Experts say these trends indicate a ‘double dip’ in women’s professional advancement — where progress at early career stages fails to translate into leadership opportunities. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to close the gender gap and create more inclusive pathways to leadership in both sectors.

 

Progress on policies, but accountability still lacking

Companies that implement gender-inclusive policies are significantly more likely to offer supportive work environments, the survey showed. Firms with better gender outcomes were 34 per cent more likely to offer flexible work arrangements, 33 per cent more likely to implement mentorship programmes, and 23 per cent more likely to provide family care support. 

Despite these efforts, the report highlights major accountability gaps in tracking gender diversity. Only 15 per cent of corporate boards currently monitor gender diversity outcomes, and 42 per cent of companies do not measure the impact of their gender-related policies at all. 

The findings suggest that while some organisations are taking concrete steps to foster gender equity, many are still falling short in tracking the effectiveness of these initiatives.

 

Way forward for firms to advance gender equity

To make real progress on gender equity, employers must move beyond awareness and take deliberate action across three key areas: entry-level access, career advancement, and senior leadership. First, diagnose: assess where in the talent pipeline women are underrepresented — whether in hiring, retention, or promotions. Only two-thirds of organisations track gender metrics. 

Next, design: evaluate existing policies and their reach. “Once they understand this, leaders could determine if there are additional policies required to address the identified challenges and close remaining gaps — and consider experimenting with more-innovative approaches,” the report said. 

Finally, monitor: ensure accountability. “This underscores the importance of organisations adopting more-structured and formalised types of monitoring.”