Russia has a higher proportion of women in senior management positions than any other country in the world, according to professional services firm Grant Thornton.
Eastern European economies are the global frontrunners in gender equality, with 37 percent of senior management posts filled by women, well above the average of 24 percent, which was described as disappointing result in the 2014 study, titled, “Women in Business: From Classroom to Boardroom,” part of Grant Thornton's 2014 International Business Report, or IBR.
And of the the high performers, Russia fared best, with the report finding that 43 percent of senior management roles are handed to women, a figure that has held fairly stable since 2004. This may come as a surprise, given that Russia is widely perceived to be a patriarchal society, though the IBR partly attributed the high percentage to a gender ratio that favors women by 6:5.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had on average the next highest proportion with 39 percent, according to IBR data, which was gathered during 6,700 interviews with senior managers from all industry sectors between November 2013 and February 2014.
By contrast, the slice of senior roles being enjoyed by women in Britain is 20 percent. In the U.S. it is 23 percent.
With just 9 percent, Japan ranked bottom of the 45-economy survey for the 10th year in a row.
Globally, the education and social services sector have the highest proportion of female senior managers with 51 percent, followed by hospitality on 37 percent. The mining industry have the lowest proportion — 12 percent.
The most commonly held management posts for women is HR Director, at 25 percent, and Chief Financial Officer, at 23 percent. Only 12 percent of chief executives were women, the report said.
See also:
Top Female Government Leaders Balance State and Family Obligations
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.