ILO says gender equality initiatives boost business performance as company implementation declines

Traders Union
All News
Geopolitics & Trade
ILO: gender equality and business

Highlights

The ILO's 2025 survey finds nearly 70 per cent of enterprises say gender equality initiatives improve business outcomes, up 11 percentage points from 2018.
Despite 74.8 per cent of enterprises having gender diversity policies in 2025, only 26.5 per cent implement them, down from 37.4 per cent in 2018.
Women hold around one-third of managerial roles, with representation as board chairs rising from 13.1 per cent in 2013 to 30.1 per cent in 2025.

ILO report tracks gains and policy pullback

As reported by United Nations News, citing the International Labour Organization, its report "Women in Business and Management: Scaling Success", published on Tuesday, finds that nearly 70 per cent of enterprises surveyed in 2025 say gender equality and diversity initiatives improve business outcomes, up by more than 11 percentage points from 2018.

The report draws on a 2025 ILO survey of 11,957 enterprises across 99 countries, alongside surveys from 2013 and 2018, 30 years of labour market data, secondary research and case studies. Among companies that report higher profits from initiatives promoting women in management, 87.4 per cent say gains reach at least five per cent. Firms with women CEOs and board chairs are also more likely to report better business outcomes.

Representation at the top has improved over the period. Between 2013 and 2025, the share of companies with a woman board chair rises from 13.1 per cent to 30.1 per cent, while the share with a woman CEO climbs from 23.5 per cent to 28.2 per cent.

Even so, women still hold only around a third of managerial roles overall. Gender balance improves at senior and top management levels during the same period, but declines at junior and middle management levels.

Leadership pipeline and labour market impact

Despite wider adoption of formal policies, implementation is moving in the opposite direction. While 74.8 per cent of enterprises report having a gender equality and diversity policy or equivalent in place in 2025, only 26.5 per cent implement them, down from 37.4 per cent in 2018.

The ILO says the decline includes measures that companies themselves identify as among the most effective, including maternity leave and support programmes and equal pay initiatives. The agency adds that this retreat comes despite major advances in women’s education, including higher participation in tertiary education compared with men.

Women also remain under-represented in business functions and sectors that often serve as pathways to senior leadership. Maria Paz Anzorreguy, director of the ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities, says that leaving women’s potential untapped makes little business sense at a time when enterprises are competing for skills and talent.

The report calls for stronger leadership pipelines, better access for women to under-represented roles and sectors, and wider use of gender metrics and voluntary targets. It also points to structural barriers outside the workplace, including unequal care responsibilities, occupational segregation and persistent social norms.

One of the case studies cited in the report comes from Philippines-based logistics company Airspeed. Its founder and chairperson, Rosemarie P. Rafael, says companies with fair recruitment, promotion and pay are better placed to attract the best talent, and that women perform strongly when they can see a future in the organisation.

Our earlier coverage of executive pay trends at South Africa’s JSE Top 200 companies highlighted a sharp rise in variable remuneration, with CEO and CFO incentive payouts outpacing growth in fixed pay. We also noted new Companies Act requirements from May 2026 that force greater transparency through top-vs-lowest pay ratio disclosures and introduce binding shareholder votes on remuneration.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.