Still few women reach top of corporate ladder

A survey showed that only 3 percent of CEOs in the Philippines were women after factors such as gender biases kept qualified female workers from reaching greater heights.

This was according to a survey that covered 180 men and women mid-managers in 129 local corporations as a bid to mirror the real state of gender diversity in the country. More than 100 of the respondents were women.

While the number of women and men entering the labor force was almost equal at 49 percent and 51 percent, respectively, fewer women got to climb the corporate ladder.

The survey found that only 67 percent of women were in senior management roles. In the board of directors of these firms, only 15 percent were women.

Finally, only 3 percent of women got to drive these corporations as chief executive officers (CEOs), while the rest were dominated by men.

“In the focus group discussion, the female CEOs shared the significant hurdles they encountered during their rise to the top and these include how other women and men in their company perceive them, managing the egos of their partners and managing the needs of their families, especially their children,” the highlights of the survey report read.

The Makati Business Club (MBC) partnered with the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (PBCWE) to jointly conduct the survey.

In a statement, MBC said four overlapping factors kept women from reaching the top, namely: individual, family, company culture and wider societal expectations.

The survey found that both women and men were very confident about their skills and potential, but women faced more limitations in taking on leadership roles, even when just considering the prospect of it.

For example, the survey said that only 70.4 percent of women expressed confidence to take on a leadership role immediately, compared to the 87.1 percent of men who said the same.

There were gender stereotypes that persist in companies and even among the female respondents as well.

The survey found, among other results, that more women (44.7 percent versus 27 percent of men) “feel guilty” when they couldn’t attend to family responsibilities because of work.

Also, more women (72 percent) believed that gender equality was important for companies that promoted inclusive business to achieve success. On the other hand, only 55 percent of men believed the same.

There were also gender biases in these companies. When asked if they thought most companies still expected traditional roles based on gender, 44.7 percent of women found this a reality, compared to 22 percent of men who said the same.

“We cannot stress this enough: Having more women in leadership positions means diversity in perspectives, ideas and skills. Through this study and our partnership, we can firmly say that gender equality in the workplace is critical for business,” said PhilWEN chair and PBCWE co-chair Ma. Aurora Geotina-Garcia in a statement.