Research shows women are more likely than men to attain any college degree. In most leadership skills, they score higher. Businesses with a higher proportion of women in leadership are more likely to report enhanced creativity and improved productivity.

But women experience challenges that men do not when attempting to advance their careers, according to a recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) report, Women in Leadership: Unequal Access on the Journey to the Top.

“Our research not only shows that women continue to face several barriers on their journey to the top, but it also reveals an alarming trend whereby women become increasingly disillusioned about equal access as they move into leadership positions,” said Kerri Nelson, director of policy and partnership research at SHRM. “If organizations don’t work to create equitable opportunities and more inclusive leadership environments, this disillusionment can have critical repercussions for organizations looking to develop and retain top female talent.”

What Types of Barriers Do Women Face?

In a survey of HR professionals, individual contributors and managers, SHRM found that female managers are more likely than their male counterparts to aspire to higher-level roles because they would be good at it or because they’re interested in taking on more or different responsibilities.

Yet organizations have disproportionately fewer women in top leadership positions: 9 percent of HR professionals describe their organization’s leaders as predominantly women, whereas 50 percent describe their organization’s senior leaders as predominantly men.

Kimberly Lee Minor, president of the activewear brand Bandier and founder of the nonprofit organization Women of Color in Retail, was unsurprised by the findings.

“There are several barriers in historical societal biases and outdated norms that still exist that leaders use as excuses not to consider [women],” she said. “These biases include [women being] care providers, myths like women lead with feeling and not with logic, and other outdated thoughts.”

The study showed that women were less likely than men to say they’ve received tangible support from managers in attaining higher-level leadership positions despite being equally likely to share those aspirations. Female managers were also less likely than male managers to say employees in their company are made aware of internal job openings.

Women of color are even less likely to say their organization lets employees know when internal job openings become available. Female managers of color are over five times more likely than their

white female counterparts to say they have quit a job after being overlooked for a new leadership opportunity.

“Women and especially women of color also lack the professional development at work that is required to advance,” said Marsha Guerrier, founder of HerSuiteSpot, a network supporting women of color as leaders and entrepreneurs. “Without recognition and development, women often wait to be recognized for their contributions and don’t feel confident enough to speak up.”

Access to leadership networks helps women transition into senior positions, Guerrier explained. But female managers are less likely than male managers to feel included in key networks at their organizations, the survey found.

[SHRM 2021]