What Holds women back?

The barriers  to women’s progression


Executive Summary

This research investigates men and women’s perceptions of the barriers to diversity and women’s progression in Opportunity Now organisations.  It follows up similar research conducted in 2005[1] and allows us to track progress over the last 5 years

The most striking trend in this research is the fact that men are consistently less likely than women (in most cases less than half as likely) to recognise any of the barriers to gender diversity and women’s progression. 

For example:

• Women have to balance work and family:  82% of women recognise this as a barrier but just 54% of men 
• Women are seen as less committed to work because they often have family commitments: 57% of women recognise this as a barrier but just 20% of men
• Lack of senior or visibly successful female role model: 52% of women recognise this as a barrier but just 26% of men
• Stereotyping and preconceptions of women's roles and abilities: 49% of women recognise this as a barrier but just 14% of men
• Personal style differences: 48% of women recognise this as a barrier but just 21% of men

Neither the barriers nor the perception gap have diminished over the past five years and in some cases the situation has got worse.  Women from Black and minority Ethnic groups are significantly more likely that their white colleagues to experience these barriers. 

The implications of failing to address this issue go far beyond the disappointments and frustrations of these women’s careers. We risk wasting the talents of another generation of women and leaving the board rooms of UK organisations without the diversity of skills talents and experiences that will enrich decision making, enhance innovation and make the UK more competitive in the future. 

Why did we conduct this research?

This research investigates men and women’s perceptions of the barriers to diversity and women’s progression in Opportunity Now organisations.  It follows up similar research conducted in 2005[2] and allows us to track progress over the last 5 years.  This is timely research because, despite a decade in which gender diversity and corporate governance have been under the spotlight, women are still under represented at the top of UK organisations.  Since 1999 the number of women on boards of FTSE 100 companies has increased from 7% to just 12 % and in executive board positions they still number only 5%. 

Opportunity Now members outperform FTSE 100.  Amongst all our members 22% of our boards are female. Women comprise 17% % of our private sector member’s boards and 12% of their executive directors, twice the number in the FTSE as a whole.  This is good news.  However, at this rate of change, it will still take decades for Opportunity Now members to achieve gender balanced boards and even longer for the rest of the UK to catch up.