What you probably already know: The story about women in leadership has long been one of incremental gains and slow, steady progress. That narrative has stalled, albeit ever so slightly. Grant Thornton’s “Women in Business 2026, the value of visibility” surveyed senior leaders in mid-market businesses across 35 economies and found that women now hold 32.9% of all senior management roles across the globe, a slight decline from last year. But the report also notes that companies making investments in women’s advancement report significant business benefits. Almost 93% of mid-market firms still have DEI initiatives despite the national backlash. Seventy-six percent say they’re committed to gender equality.
Why it matters: “Diverse leadership teams don’t just reflect fairness. They deliver stronger performance, foster innovation and build resilience,” Grant Thornton Chief People Officer Hilary Haynes says. “This is about competitive advantage and sustainable growth.” Companies that visibly invest in gender equality and balanced leadership teams tend to report stronger revenue and employment growth. Seventy-three percent of businesses planning new gender-equality measures grew revenue by more than 5% last year; 56% grew staff levels more than 5%; and 49% reported an increase in exports. Leaders themselves say gender-diverse teams create innovation and lead to better decision-making.
What it means: “Diverse senior teams can reduce blind spots and outperform on engagement, when psychological safety exists,” says Jenn Barnett, a United Kingdom-based Grant Thornton executive. “This is crucial, especially on pay transparency.” The most popular gender equality strategies revolve around employee pay initiatives, recruitment and hiring strategies, promotions into senior leadership positions, bonuses and training. Though companies with all-male leadership teams increased from 4.1% to 5.7%, the report notes that “it is encouraging to see four countries report they have no businesses with all-male leadership teams, namely Columbia, Vietnam, India and South Africa.”
What happens next: As the United States battles over DEI, other countries are making measurable progress. At 37%, South Africa again boasts the highest percentage of women in senior management, while Chile recently approved a bill promoting gender diversity on corporate boards. In Brazil, lawmakers adopted measures around equal pay. At the current pace, gender parity in mid-market leadership won’t be reached until around 2051 but, as the report notes, “visibility matters.” As Grant Thornton partner in Thailand, Ratna Wright, says, “Future employees want to see evidence of leadership composition, policies and how issues are handled in practice. Companies that cannot clearly articulate their stance and show real progress will increasingly lose out on high-caliber candidates.”
