More women have moved into management, but gender pay gaps follow them

From 2015 to 2026, women’s labour force participation increased in 128 of 186 countries; the gender gap in participation narrowed in 135 countries[1]. This progress is noteworthy, yet participation levels remain low. In 2026, globally, just under two in every three women aged 25–54 were in the labour force (63.9 per cent) compared to more than 9 in 10 men (92.0 per cent). Even when women enter the labour market, they remain disproportionately concentrated in informal, insecure and lower-paid employment, often with limited social protection. These patterns are often worse in conflict-affected countries. In Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the State of Palestine and the Syrian Arab Republic, 40–71 per cent of women’s employment is informal. Disruptions to female-dominated sectors and rising unpaid care work, increase the likelihood of women exiting paid work, particularly in Western Asia, where women perform an estimated 80–90 per cent of unpaid care work. Women's economic empowerment also depends on access to financial services, where the gender gap in account ownership has narrowed substantially. In low- and middle-income economies, 73 per cent of women had a financial account in 2024, up from 66 per cent in 2021 and 50 per cent in 2014. Yet important disparities persist. Women are still less likely than men to make digital merchant payments (38 per cent compared to 45 per cent) or borrow through a financial institution (22 per cent compared to 26 per cent).

Women face significant barriers in reaching managerial positions. Globally, the proportion of women in such posts increased from 26.9 per cent in 2015 to 30.5 per cent in 2025. Regional disparities remain stark, with women occupying just 11.6 per cent of managerial positions in Central and Southern Asia. Globally, even when women become managers, they experience significant pay inequalities. From 2020 to 2025, female managers earned less per hour than male managers in 66 of 83 countries and areas with available data. Getting women into leadership is necessary but not sufficient. The structures that govern pay, assets and workplace power must change too.