Progress towards gender parity in mid-market firms is moving in the right direction – but not quickly enough.

For 21 years, we’ve tracked the ratio of women occupying senior management roles in mid-market firms around the world. In the last five years, we’ve seen sustained growth on this key measure, but the rate of change is still too slow. 

At the current pace, a woman starting her career today will be working for more than a quarter of a century before she can expect to work at a mid-market firm with gender parity in top roles. With small and mid-market firms responsible for generating two-thirds of the world's jobs, there’s a growing push for these businesses to accelerate action.  

This year's report shares crucial insights and strategies to help mid-market firms make a real impact on parity. 

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The regional picture over time

Percentage of senior leadership roles held by women, shown by region and country over the last 21 years

Source: Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) research into the views and expectations of senior leaders within the mid-market for 21 years
  % women in senior management
Country Name Country Code X Coordinate Y Coordinate 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2009 2007 2004
Global GL 92.5 118 34.0% 33.5% 32.4% 31.9% 31.2% 28.7% 28.8% 24.1% 24.5% 23.5% 22.3% 24.0% 24.2% 20.9% 20.2% 23.9% 24.1% 19.4%
Argentina AR 27 11 34.9% 30.8% 29.4% 30.5% 30.8% 23.6% 19.8% 22.9% 15.0% 17.6% 15.7% 25.0% 18.1% 19.5% 18.3% 17.4%    
Australia AU 92 15 36.5% 39.6% 39.5% 32.0% 32.4% 28.4% 41.9% 15.1% 23.3% 22.9% 22.0% 22.0% 22.5% 24.2% 27.1% 23.0% 21.9% 22.1%
Brazil BR 28.5 24.6 36.7% 37.1% 38.6% 37.8% 39.0% 34.4% 25.4% 29.5% 18.7% 18.5% 15.2% 22.0% 23.1% 26.5% 23.7% 28.7% 42.0%  
Canada CA 16 70 34.7% 35.5% 38.6% 30.4% 35.6% 32.0% 28.4% 25.0% 23.4% 26.4% 25.1% 23.0% 26.6% 25.1% 27.8% 27.9% 18.6% 22.4%
China CN 80 48 35.3% 32.6% 35.4% 32.3% 28.6% 31.4% 28.3% 30.9% 31.3% 29.8% 24.7% 38.0% 39.0% 25.2% 33.8% 31.4% 31.9%  
Egypt EG 57.1 37.7 30.3%                                  
France FR 46 53 37.7% 37.9% 34.8% 31.1% 32.9% 27.9% 18.5% 32.8% 30.9% 28.0% 32.6% 24.0% 25.7% 23.8% 21.2% 17.8% 21.2% 20.7%
Germany DE 52 56 30.1% 30.6% 29.9% 34.9% 38.2% 29.8% 35.5% 23.2% 18.4% 15.2% 14.0% 14.0% 31.3% 12.9% 11.4% 17.4% 11.6% 16.3%
Greece GR 54.7 46.3 30.7% 31.6% 36.8% 28.3% 32.6% 24.5% 21.8% 26.0% 19.8% 26.7% 27.0% 29.0% 29.5% 21.3% 29.9% 23.0% 20.6% 22.0%
India IN 72 36 36.5% 33.9% 36.0% 38.0% 39.1% 29.9% 28.2% 19.8% 16.9% 16.2% 15.2% 14.0% 18.9% 14.5% 9.2% 15.4% 13.9% 11.7%
Indonesia ID 91 28 36.3% 37.4% 38.7% 38.1% 37.7% 36.6% 31.9% 42.6% 45.6% 36.2% 20.2% 41.0%            
Ireland IE 41 57 36.5% 36.0% 40.3% 30.5% 32.8% 31.1% 34.9% 31.8% 26.0% 19.1% 24.4% 23.0% 21.2% 21.3% 19.4% 21.5% 21.0% 15.6%
Italy IT 49.7 46.3 34.8% 35.7% 34.0% 29.9% 29.0% 27.6% 24.3% 33.9% 26.9% 29.0% 26.1% 30.0% 23.8% 36.0% 21.6% 21.0% 14.3% 18.2%
Japan JP 90 50 18.4% 19.5% 15.9% 14.9% 14.7% 12.1% 15.4% 5.4% 7.1% 7.3% 7.8% 9.0% 7.4% 5.3% 8.1% 6.6% 6.6% 7.6%
Kenya KE 59.7 29.2 37.9%                                  
Malaysia MY 79.6 28 36.2% 39.6% 40.4% 40.1% 36.9% 33.4% 22.7% 27.9% 24.2% 26.5% 22.4% 25.0% 25.8% 28.3% 31.3% 31.3% 23.0%  
Mexico MX 14 37 38.9% 36.2% 38.0% 32.6% 35.0% 36.9% 25.5% 33.9% 23.9% 18.2% 22.5% 28.0% 22.8% 18.3% 18.5% 30.9% 20.4% 26.6%
Morocco MA 45.7 40.9 34.2%                                  
Nigeria NG 48 30 34.0% 40.6% 38.7% 37.7% 35.7% 36.2% 38.5% 30.1% 29.3% 28.8% 20.5%              
Philippines PH 87.8 35.8 43.0% 43.1% 48.8% 39.2% 48.0% 42.9% 37.5% 46.6% 39.5% 39.0%   40.0% 37.1% 38.6% 34.8% 47.5% 50.3% 39.4%
Singapore SG 84.5 28 36.3% 31.3% 49.3% 33.8% 32.8% 30.7% 33.0% 29.7% 29.8% 25.8% 22.9% 23.0% 27.4% 23.1% 29.9% 27.9% 20.8% 23.0%
South Africa ZA 53 13 47.2% 42.0% 41.0% 42.5% 43.4% 40.1% 24.2% 29.0% 28.2% 22.7% 27.3% 26.0% 28.2% 28.1% 27.4% 27.9% 29.3% 26.5%
South Korea KR 94 62 21.7% 19.6% 23.5% 21.1% 18.3% 16.5% 29.9%                      
Spain ES 42 47.2 40.4% 40.3% 37.6% 35.9% 33.5% 33.8% 29.7% 27.2% 27.2% 25.8% 25.6% 22.0% 21.4% 24.1% 22.2% 20.6% 17.3% 14.1%
Sweden SE 51 68 35.3% 34.3% 30.5% 32.0% 30.1% 26.9% 21.6% 29.5% 28.5% 25.8% 28.0% 26.0% 26.8% 22.9% 26.7% 21.5% 22.5% 17.7%
Thailand TH 79.7 37.8 43.1% 41.0% 36.6% 38.0% 34.2% 33.5% 19.4% 42.1% 31.4% 37.1% 27.2% 38.0% 35.8% 39.3% 45.0% 37.8% 39.2%  
Turkey TR 59.6 46.2 41.3% 41.0% 36.9% 40.3% 34.9% 35.9% 33.9% 27.2% 23.2% 20.5% 25.7% 25.0% 30.0% 31.0% 25.0% 28.7% 17.2% 20.4%
United Arab Emirates AE 62.9 39 26.1% 22.9% 27.1% 27.5% 26.3% 22.7% 24.2%                      
United Kingdom GB 45 62.6 36.3% 33.5% 32.5% 32.3% 33.5% 29.3% 25.6% 22.5% 18.7% 21.0% 22.2% 20.0% 19.0% 20.2% 23.1% 20.7% 19.3% 17.6%
United States US 12 55 34.0% 34.8% 30.8% 33.3% 32.3% 28.3% 31.1% 21.2% 22.7% 23.2% 21.1% 22.0% 20.3% 16.9% 15.0% 20.3% 23.3% 19.8%
Vietnam VN 84.8 44 37.4% 33.4% 33.5% 33.3% 38.9% 32.9% 36.9%                      

Malaysia Key Facts

External pressure spurs momentum

External pressure has been key to spurring momentum on gender diversity over the last 12 months. 70.9% of Malaysia businesses have received requests from clients, investors, regulators, or other external entities to show the gender balance of their senior management team, or commitment to gender diversity initiatives.

Promisingly, over half (55.7%) of businesses that have experienced this kind of pressure report an increase in the proportion of women in their senior management positions. 

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