Annual global survey finds senior business roles held by women up slightly to 24%

*One in three businesses worldwide (33%) has no women in leadership
positions

*G7 economies trail emerging peers in Eastern Europe and ASEAN on
women in business leadership

*Countries with highest proportions of senior roles held by women are
Russia (45%), Philippines (39%) and Lithuania (39%); lowest proportions
in Japan (7%), Germany (15%) and India (16%)

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–On International Women’s Day, a new report based on the annual Grant
Thornton survey of 5,520 businesses in 36 economies reveals a slight
uptick of women in senior management positions from 22% to 24%, but a
third of businesses still do not have women in leadership positions.

The G7 is among the worst performing regions, with just 22% of senior
roles occupied by women and 39% of companies with no women in senior
roles. Two of the poorest performing individual countries are Japan,
with just 7% senior roles held by women, and Germany, with 15%.

Meanwhile Eastern Europe and ASEAN report the highest proportions of
women in leadership at 35% and 34% respectively, and just 16% and 21% of
firms with no women in senior management respectively. Russia tops the
list of individual countries with 45% of senior roles held by women,
followed by the Philippines at 39%, where only 9% businesses have no
women in senior management.

“Companies across developed nations have talked the talk on diversity in
leadership for long enough,” said Francesca Lagerberg, Grant Thornton
International Global leader – tax services. “It’s time to put their
promises into practice and deliver results. We know that businesses with
diverse workforces can outperform their more homogenous peers and are
better positioned to adapt to a rapidly changing global business
environment.”

The full report Women in Business 2016: Turning promise into practice
will be available on 8 March via: http://www.grantthornton.global/women-in-business-2016

Contacts

Grant Thornton International Ltd.
John Vita, 312/602-8955
Director
of Public Relations and External Affairs
John.vita@gti.gt.com