Despite efforts to advance the role of women in the labour force, men are still more than twice as likely to hold senior management positions than the fairer sex.
That’s according to the Conference Board of Canada, which analyzed statistics showing representation rates between men and women in the workforce from 1987 to 2009.
The study found that, although women account for nearly 48% of the Canadian labour force, only 0.32%, or 26,000, held senior management positions.
That’s compared with the opposite sex where some 56,200 men, or 0.64% of the total male labour force, held senior management positions in 2009.
“Women have made great progress in many areas of society over the past 22 years, but not in the ranks of senior management positions,” commented Anne Golden, president and CEO of the Conference Board. “Now that the rousing days of feminism are behind us, perhaps we have become complacent about the success of women in senior management.”
Golden said companies that fail to integrate women’s views at the top levels of their organization could be missing out on market share, competitive advantages and profits.
The report also found that the few women who do rise to senior levels attract so much media attention that audiences get a false impression that the glass ceiling for women’s advancement is a thing of the past.
Joel McKay
Twitter:jmckaybiv