The recommendation comes from the International Labour Organization (ILO) in its report Women in Business and Management: Scaling Success, published on Tuesday.
Between 2013 and 2025, the share of companies with a woman board chair rose from 13.1 per cent to 30.1 per cent. The share with a woman CEO climbed from 23.5 per cent to 28.2 per cent.
Yet women remain under-represented in management overall, occupying around a third of managerial-level roles. Gender balance increased at senior and top management levels during the same period but declined at junior and middle management.
Commitment vs execution
The report draws on a 2025 ILO survey of 11,957 enterprises in 99 countries, as well as surveys conducted in 2013 and 2018, 30 years of labour market data, secondary research and case studies.
Nearly 70 per cent of enterprises surveyed in 2025 said gender equality and diversity initiatives had improved business outcomes, up more than 11 percentage points from 2018.
Among those reporting increased profits through initiatives promoting women in management, 87.4 per cent reported gains of at least five per cent. Firms with women CEOs and board chairs were also more likely to report better business outcomes.
Still, although nearly three quarters (74.8 per cent) of enterprises reported having a gender equality and diversity policy or equivalent in place in 2025, the share that implemented them stood at 26.5 per cent, down from 37.4 per cent in 2018.
“The decline included measures that enterprises themselves identified as among the most effective, including maternity leave and support programmes and equal pay initiatives,” the ILO said.
Making the case
The UN agency noted that the findings come despite major advances in women’s education, including greater enrolment in tertiary education when compared to men.
Yet women continue to be under-represented in some of the business functions and sectors that can pave a path to senior leadership.
“At a time when enterprises are competing for skills and talent, leaving women’s potential untapped makes little business sense,” said Maria Paz Anzorreguy, Director of the ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities.
A future where women ‘shine’
The report outlines practical measures, including strengthening women’s leadership pipelines, improving access to roles and sectors where women remain under-represented, and using gender metrics and voluntary targets.
It also calls for addressing structural barriers outside the workplace, including unequal care responsibilities, occupational segregation and persistent social norms.
Rosemarie P. Rafael, founder and chairperson of Philippines-based logistics company Airspeed – among three case studies included in the report – shared her perspective with the authors.
“A company with a nurturing culture, with fair recruitment, promotion, and remuneration, will get the best talent, both women and men,” she said.
“And when women know they have a future in the company, they shine.”
