Beyond Women’s Day: The Leadership Gap Persists

It’s 2026 and yet we are still discussing how only half of companies are prioritising women’s career advancement, part of a broader trend of declining commitment to gender diversity. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, organisations across the world celebrate their women employees, praising their collaborative and empathetic leadership styles and their ability to inspire others. But the reality often changes the day after. Studies in 2025 show that women hold only about 19% of C-suite positions in India, far below the global average of around 30%. Meanwhile, LinkedIn’s 2026 State of Women in Leadership report states that women occupy only 31% of leadership positions worldwide, despite accounting for 44% of the global workforce. Clearly, the gap isn’t closing.

Industry-wide studies and workforce data suggest that the leadership gap in India is largely shaped by pipeline challenges rather than capability gaps, said Shantanu Rooj, Founder and CEO, TeamLease Edtech. “However, across many sectors, women’s representation begins to decline at the mid-career stage due to structural factors such as limited leadership sponsorship, rigid career progression models, and insufficient flexibility during key life transitions. By the time organisations build senior leadership pipelines, the pool has already narrowed significantly. The organisations that are making progress are the ones treating gender diversity as a talent strategy rather than a social initiative,” he said.

The gap between 19% and 30% represents thousands of qualified, capable women who were simply never given the room, believes Prateek Shukla, Co-Founder & CEO, Masai. He also said that India’s problem isn’t a pipeline issue but attrition. “Women don’t opt out of careers. They’re structurally pushed out between 28–35 when caregiving peaks and workplaces offer zero flexibility. By then, the damage is done. There’s also a fundamental bias in how we evaluate talent. Men get promoted on potential, women get promoted on proof,” he said. Shukla added that while mentorship for women is abundant, sponsorship is rare. “Mentorship happens in coffee conversations. Sponsorship happens in boardrooms. Women aren’t always in those rooms,” he said. However, he remains optimistic that the scenario is changing with flexible work, outcome-based hiring and platforms democratising access.

If these numbers seem grim, there is a silver lining. Female participation in apprenticeships has climbed 58% in just three years, reflecting growing momentum toward inclusive employment, according to a recent TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship report. Yet, while conversations about equality in the workforce continue, women contribute only about 18% to India’s GDP, and nearly 60% of working-age women remain outside the formal workforce. “This gap reflects systemic barriers rather than lack of aspiration or capability. In many parts of India (particularly rural regions) limited access to local employment opportunities, childcare support, safe transport, and digital infrastructure restricts women’s participation in formal work. Addressing this requires a combination of local job creation, stronger digital and vocational skilling, and flexible employment models that allow women to participate in the workforce without relocating,” said Rooj.

Shukla, too, believes that basic changes such as safe transport and childcare are essential. “With digital infrastructure coming into play, a woman in a small town can now skill up online, freelance, and earn formally without relocating. It bypasses the relocation problem entirely. Skilling programmes need to meet women where they are. Digital literacy plus entrepreneurship plus financial inclusion together create economic mobility. Not one in isolation. Women-led small businesses are India’s most underfunded growth engine,” he said.