There isn't a lack of talented women, there’s a mistake in the system

Women make up 41.7% of the global workforce, yet they hold only 24.6% of C-suite positions and 29.3% of board seats. These figures, from the World Economic Forum's latest report Closing the Gender Gap in Senior Leadership, show that while progress has been made, true leadership parity is still a long way off.

Perhaps even more concerning is that progress has stalled since 2022. According to the report, the challenge isn't a lack of talented women ready to lead. Instead, it's the systems, networks and opportunities that shape leadership pathways.

One of the report's most striking findings is that the leadership gap begins long before women reach senior roles. Early in their careers, women build significantly fewer connections with senior leaders than men do. These missed opportunities to access mentors, sponsors and influential networks create barriers that grow over time, making it harder to reach leadership positions later on.

The report argues that encouraging women to "lean in" is not enough. Instead, organisations need to rethink how leaders are identified, developed and promoted. This means creating fairer selection processes, expanding access to leadership networks and redesigning workplaces so that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

At Inspiring Girls, this is a powerful reminder of why representation matters. When girls see women leading, they can imagine themselves there too. But inspiration must be matched with opportunity. By creating more inclusive pathways to leadership, we can ensure that the next generation of talented girls has not only the ambition to lead, but also the chance to do so.

Because closing the leadership gap isn't just about helping women reach the top — it's about building a future where talent, not gender, determines who gets to lead.