Progress towards gender parity in mid-market firms is moving in the right direction – but not quickly enough.
For 21 years, we’ve tracked the ratio of women occupying senior management roles in mid-market firms around the world. In the last five years, we’ve seen sustained growth on this key measure, but the rate of change is still too slow.
At the current pace, a woman starting her career today will be working for more than a quarter of a century before she can expect to work at a mid-market firm with gender parity in top roles. With small and mid-market firms responsible for generating two-thirds of the world's jobs, there’s a growing push for these businesses to accelerate action.
This year's report shares crucial insights and strategies to help mid-market firms make a real impact on parity.
| % women in senior management | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Country Name | Country Code | X Coordinate | Y Coordinate | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2009 | 2007 | 2004 |
| Global | GL | 92.5 | 118 | 34.0% | 33.5% | 32.4% | 31.9% | 31.2% | 28.7% | 28.8% | 24.1% | 24.5% | 23.5% | 22.3% | 24.0% | 24.2% | 20.9% | 20.2% | 23.9% | 24.1% | 19.4% |
| Argentina | AR | 27 | 11 | 34.9% | 30.8% | 29.4% | 30.5% | 30.8% | 23.6% | 19.8% | 22.9% | 15.0% | 17.6% | 15.7% | 25.0% | 18.1% | 19.5% | 18.3% | 17.4% | ||
| Australia | AU | 92 | 15 | 36.5% | 39.6% | 39.5% | 32.0% | 32.4% | 28.4% | 41.9% | 15.1% | 23.3% | 22.9% | 22.0% | 22.0% | 22.5% | 24.2% | 27.1% | 23.0% | 21.9% | 22.1% |
| Brazil | BR | 28.5 | 24.6 | 36.7% | 37.1% | 38.6% | 37.8% | 39.0% | 34.4% | 25.4% | 29.5% | 18.7% | 18.5% | 15.2% | 22.0% | 23.1% | 26.5% | 23.7% | 28.7% | 42.0% | |
| Canada | CA | 16 | 70 | 34.7% | 35.5% | 38.6% | 30.4% | 35.6% | 32.0% | 28.4% | 25.0% | 23.4% | 26.4% | 25.1% | 23.0% | 26.6% | 25.1% | 27.8% | 27.9% | 18.6% | 22.4% |
| China | CN | 80 | 48 | 35.3% | 32.6% | 35.4% | 32.3% | 28.6% | 31.4% | 28.3% | 30.9% | 31.3% | 29.8% | 24.7% | 38.0% | 39.0% | 25.2% | 33.8% | 31.4% | 31.9% | |
| Egypt | EG | 57.1 | 37.7 | 30.3% | |||||||||||||||||
| France | FR | 46 | 53 | 37.7% | 37.9% | 34.8% | 31.1% | 32.9% | 27.9% | 18.5% | 32.8% | 30.9% | 28.0% | 32.6% | 24.0% | 25.7% | 23.8% | 21.2% | 17.8% | 21.2% | 20.7% |
| Germany | DE | 52 | 56 | 30.1% | 30.6% | 29.9% | 34.9% | 38.2% | 29.8% | 35.5% | 23.2% | 18.4% | 15.2% | 14.0% | 14.0% | 31.3% | 12.9% | 11.4% | 17.4% | 11.6% | 16.3% |
| Greece | GR | 54.7 | 46.3 | 30.7% | 31.6% | 36.8% | 28.3% | 32.6% | 24.5% | 21.8% | 26.0% | 19.8% | 26.7% | 27.0% | 29.0% | 29.5% | 21.3% | 29.9% | 23.0% | 20.6% | 22.0% |
| India | IN | 72 | 36 | 36.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% | 38.0% | 39.1% | 29.9% | 28.2% | 19.8% | 16.9% | 16.2% | 15.2% | 14.0% | 18.9% | 14.5% | 9.2% | 15.4% | 13.9% | 11.7% |
| Indonesia | ID | 91 | 28 | 36.3% | 37.4% | 38.7% | 38.1% | 37.7% | 36.6% | 31.9% | 42.6% | 45.6% | 36.2% | 20.2% | 41.0% | ||||||
| Ireland | IE | 41 | 57 | 36.5% | 36.0% | 40.3% | 30.5% | 32.8% | 31.1% | 34.9% | 31.8% | 26.0% | 19.1% | 24.4% | 23.0% | 21.2% | 21.3% | 19.4% | 21.5% | 21.0% | 15.6% |
| Italy | IT | 49.7 | 46.3 | 34.8% | 35.7% | 34.0% | 29.9% | 29.0% | 27.6% | 24.3% | 33.9% | 26.9% | 29.0% | 26.1% | 30.0% | 23.8% | 36.0% | 21.6% | 21.0% | 14.3% | 18.2% |
| Japan | JP | 90 | 50 | 18.4% | 19.5% | 15.9% | 14.9% | 14.7% | 12.1% | 15.4% | 5.4% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 7.8% | 9.0% | 7.4% | 5.3% | 8.1% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 7.6% |
| Kenya | KE | 59.7 | 29.2 | 37.9% | |||||||||||||||||
| Malaysia | MY | 79.6 | 28 | 36.2% | 39.6% | 40.4% | 40.1% | 36.9% | 33.4% | 22.7% | 27.9% | 24.2% | 26.5% | 22.4% | 25.0% | 25.8% | 28.3% | 31.3% | 31.3% | 23.0% | |
| Mexico | MX | 14 | 37 | 38.9% | 36.2% | 38.0% | 32.6% | 35.0% | 36.9% | 25.5% | 33.9% | 23.9% | 18.2% | 22.5% | 28.0% | 22.8% | 18.3% | 18.5% | 30.9% | 20.4% | 26.6% |
| Morocco | MA | 45.7 | 40.9 | 34.2% | |||||||||||||||||
| Nigeria | NG | 48 | 30 | 34.0% | 40.6% | 38.7% | 37.7% | 35.7% | 36.2% | 38.5% | 30.1% | 29.3% | 28.8% | 20.5% | |||||||
| Philippines | PH | 87.8 | 35.8 | 43.0% | 43.1% | 48.8% | 39.2% | 48.0% | 42.9% | 37.5% | 46.6% | 39.5% | 39.0% | 40.0% | 37.1% | 38.6% | 34.8% | 47.5% | 50.3% | 39.4% | |
| Singapore | SG | 84.5 | 28 | 36.3% | 31.3% | 49.3% | 33.8% | 32.8% | 30.7% | 33.0% | 29.7% | 29.8% | 25.8% | 22.9% | 23.0% | 27.4% | 23.1% | 29.9% | 27.9% | 20.8% | 23.0% |
| South Africa | ZA | 53 | 13 | 47.2% | 42.0% | 41.0% | 42.5% | 43.4% | 40.1% | 24.2% | 29.0% | 28.2% | 22.7% | 27.3% | 26.0% | 28.2% | 28.1% | 27.4% | 27.9% | 29.3% | 26.5% |
| South Korea | KR | 94 | 62 | 21.7% | 19.6% | 23.5% | 21.1% | 18.3% | 16.5% | 29.9% | |||||||||||
| Spain | ES | 42 | 47.2 | 40.4% | 40.3% | 37.6% | 35.9% | 33.5% | 33.8% | 29.7% | 27.2% | 27.2% | 25.8% | 25.6% | 22.0% | 21.4% | 24.1% | 22.2% | 20.6% | 17.3% | 14.1% |
| Sweden | SE | 51 | 68 | 35.3% | 34.3% | 30.5% | 32.0% | 30.1% | 26.9% | 21.6% | 29.5% | 28.5% | 25.8% | 28.0% | 26.0% | 26.8% | 22.9% | 26.7% | 21.5% | 22.5% | 17.7% |
| Thailand | TH | 79.7 | 37.8 | 43.1% | 41.0% | 36.6% | 38.0% | 34.2% | 33.5% | 19.4% | 42.1% | 31.4% | 37.1% | 27.2% | 38.0% | 35.8% | 39.3% | 45.0% | 37.8% | 39.2% | |
| Turkey | TR | 59.6 | 46.2 | 41.3% | 41.0% | 36.9% | 40.3% | 34.9% | 35.9% | 33.9% | 27.2% | 23.2% | 20.5% | 25.7% | 25.0% | 30.0% | 31.0% | 25.0% | 28.7% | 17.2% | 20.4% |
| United Arab Emirates | AE | 62.9 | 39 | 26.1% | 22.9% | 27.1% | 27.5% | 26.3% | 22.7% | 24.2% | |||||||||||
| United Kingdom | GB | 45 | 62.6 | 36.3% | 33.5% | 32.5% | 32.3% | 33.5% | 29.3% | 25.6% | 22.5% | 18.7% | 21.0% | 22.2% | 20.0% | 19.0% | 20.2% | 23.1% | 20.7% | 19.3% | 17.6% |
| United States | US | 12 | 55 | 34.0% | 34.8% | 30.8% | 33.3% | 32.3% | 28.3% | 31.1% | 21.2% | 22.7% | 23.2% | 21.1% | 22.0% | 20.3% | 16.9% | 15.0% | 20.3% | 23.3% | 19.8% |
| Vietnam | VN | 84.8 | 44 | 37.4% | 33.4% | 33.5% | 33.3% | 38.9% | 32.9% | 36.9% | |||||||||||
Malaysia Key Facts
1.
36.0% of senior management positions are held by women in Malaysia, a decline of 4 percentage points (pp) since 2024
2.
9.3% of businesses have no women in senior management roles, a 2.8pp increase since 2024
3.
Chief HR Officer remains the role with the highest number of women in senior management at 57%, increasing from 55% in 2024
External pressure spurs momentum
External pressure has been key to spurring momentum on gender diversity over the last 12 months. 70.9% of Malaysia businesses have received requests from clients, investors, regulators, or other external entities to show the gender balance of their senior management team, or commitment to gender diversity initiatives.
Promisingly, over half (55.7%) of businesses that have experienced this kind of pressure report an increase in the proportion of women in their senior management positions.
52.3%
businesses are taking action on setting gender equality targets through recruitment and selection
40.7%
businesses have a target on equal pay in their workplace
27.9%
businesses are increasing the representation of women in senior leadership positions
