Despite progress, women continue to face structural challenges in organisations, cultural biases and personal barriers that limit their access to leadership positions. In this article we will explore these barriers and effective strategies to empower women's leadership in companies, according to the vision of Natalia Córdova, Business Development Consultant at Cegos.
Barriers to female leadership
According to Natalia Córdova, there are four main types of barriers that limit women's access to leadership roles:
1- Structural barriers:
Policies and ways of working that do not consider work-life balance. They particularly affect women who decide to start a family. In addition, companies often do not have adequate re-entry structures for those who have taken career breaks for family reasons.
2- Cultural and organisational biases:
The perception that women are a ‘complication’ for companies due to maternity or alleged absences from work still persists. However, internal studies in some organisations (García, Gadea & Córdoba, 2017) have shown that women tend to be less likely to be absent from work than men, demystifying this prejudice. For example, although 83% of those with absenteeism were women, when analysed specifically by gender, 59% of men reported absenteeism, compared to 55% of women (Garcia, Gadea & Cordoba, 2017).
This finding suggests that, in proportional terms, men may be more likely to be absent from work than women.
Furthermore, specific biases affect the promotion and evaluation of women leaders, such as the promotion bias. Men are promoted for their potential, while women are promoted only if they have demonstrated results (Lean In & McKinsey, 2023). Regarding the perception of women leaders: Those who exhibit assertive or authoritarian behaviours are often perceived as ‘unfeminine’ or ‘aggressive’, which negatively affects their evaluation Eagly & Karau (2002).
3- Social barriers:
There is a strong domestic burden. Many women take on the majority of domestic and family care responsibilities, which limits their availability and energy for career advancement. This phenomenon, known as the ‘double day’, continues to be a determining factor in the leadership gap.
4- Individual barriers:
Many women tend to think that they are not prepared to take on leadership roles or avoid applying for senior positions if they do not meet 100% of the requirements, while men do so with much greater confidence, even if they do not meet all the competencies (El País, 2019).
The impact of gender diversity in organisations
Gender equity in organisations not only responds to an ethical imperative, but also generates tangible benefits in decision-making, work engagement and profitability. Diversity of perspectives in work teams allows for more creative and balanced solutions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, it was observed that female-led teams tended to manage remote work and family reconciliation better, demonstrating the positive impact of diversity in times of crisis. In addition, more gender-equitable companies tend to foster more collaborative and fulfilling environments, which contributes to talent retention and employee engagement.
In terms of financial performance, a study by McKinsey & Company (2020) found that organisations with greater gender diversity in their top management are 25% more likely to outperform their competitors in profitability. As Natalia Córdova rightly points out, ‘companies that embrace diversity not only advance inclusion, but also strengthen their ability to adapt, grow and innovate in a changing environment’.
Another study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics (2016) found that companies with at least 30% women in leadership positions can increase their net profitability by up to 15%. This reinforces the idea that the presence of women in leadership positions not only promotes equity, but also has a positive financial impact on organisations.
Strategies to promote women's leadership
Implementing gender equity policies:
- Establish quotas for female participation in leadership positions.
- Make working hours more flexible and promote home working in order to favour family reconciliation.
- Implement equitable parental leave so that childcare does not fall solely on women.
Women's leadership development programmes
- Create mentoring and coaching programmes among women with different levels of experience.
- Develop trainings in leadership, influencing and decision-making skills.
- Implement support networks and spaces for experience sharing.
Reducing biases in the organisational culture
- Raise awareness among teams about unconscious biases that affect the evaluation and promotion of women.
- Implement selection and promotion processes based on objective metrics.
- Encourage the presence of women in decision-making spaces.
Empowering women's leadership is not only a matter of fairness and equity, but also represents a competitive advantage for companies. By implementing inclusion policies, fostering leadership development and eliminating organisational biases, companies can leverage female talent and generate more diverse, innovative and profitable teams.
As Natalia Córdova rightly points out, ‘the limits that women have actually affect everyone who seeks a work-life balance’. It is time to transform structures to enable more inclusive and sustainable leadership.
This article was originally published by Cegos LATAM under the title "¿Cómo potenciar el liderazgo de las mujeres en tu empresa?"
Sources:
McKinsey & Company. (2020). Diversity wins: How inclusion matters.
Peterson Institute for International Economics. (2016). Is gender diversity profitable? Evidence from a global survey.
El País. (2019, 12 de julio). ¿Son las mujeres mejores líderes que los hombres? El País Retina.
García, A. M., Gadea, R., & Córdoba, D. O. (2017). Diferencias de género en el absentismo laboral: ¿Quién falta más al trabajo? Archivos de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales, 20(4), 311-319.
Eagly, A. H., & Karau, S. J. (2002). Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders. Psychological Review, 109(3), 573–598.
