New | More Asian women reaching executive ranks, thanks to societal shifts
Asia-Pacific leads when it comes to women in senior management roles, thanks to greater education opportunities and easier access to childcare
From a global perspective, the number of women in executive positions has stagnated in recent years.
In corporations, about 50 per cent of employees in entry-level occupations are women, with the proportion of women in senior and management roles drastically declining. Globally, only 3 to 4 per cent of chief executives are women.
The Grant Thornton International Business Report states in its 2014 annual survey that the percentage of women in senior positions remains at 24 per cent, unchanged from its findings in 2012, 2009, and 2007.
In Europe, Norway boasts the highest percentage of board seats held by women (41 per cent), followed by Sweden (27 per cent). However, when it comes to an absolute increase of women in senior management roles, Asia-Pacific leads the way.
In Southeast Asia, 35 per cent of senior executive positions are held by women.
It is 38 per cent in China, boosted by radical urbanisation that has empowered women, the growing opportunity to enrol in secondary studies and higher education, as well as the fact that the country is the fastest-growing major economy in the world.