Despite comprising over half the world’s population, women remain drastically underrepresented in leadership roles across business, politics, and the judiciary. This imbalance is clearly highlighted in the numbers: only 12% of the world’s board seats were occupied by women as of 2015, and just 20 countries had female heads of state or government. Women also make up just 49.1% of the global workforce, often concentrated in lower-paying or less secure jobs. Shockingly, it may take another 118 years to fully close the gender pay gap.
Education remains a critical barrier, with 15 million girls globally still out of school. Around the world, the statistics vary—women held only 16.3% of CEO roles in Australia and 20.2% of board seats in the U.S. In India, women’s labour participation dropped from 38.8% to 26.7% between 1990 and 2014. In Japan, women accounted for just 10.1% of parliamentary seats, ranking 158th globally.
Promoting women in leadership isn’t just about equality—it has real economic and societal benefits. Diverse leadership teams are linked to stronger performance, innovation, and governance. Female empowerment can boost GDP and improve outcomes for entire communities. Yet, challenges such as gender bias, workplace discrimination, and lack of visibility in senior roles continue to hinder progress.
At Trainwest, we recognise the urgent need to support and develop the next generation of women leaders. Through training, mentoring, and awareness, we can create pathways to leadership and build a more balanced future.
See the full infographic below for more insights.
