Unfinished business

For its 10th annual “Women in the Workplace 2024: The 10th-anniversary report,” McKinsey & Company partnered with LeanIn.Org to get a handle on what is happening to women in the corporate world. The results are mixed.

This year, the two groups collected information from 281 organizations that employ more than 10 million people and surveyed more than 15,000 employees and more than 280 HR leaders. The resulting report provides a look at the specific biases and barriers faced by Asian, Black, Latina and LGBTQ+ women, as well as women with disabilities.

Here are few findings from the study:

Over the past decade, women’s representation has increased at every level of corporate management. Women now make up 29% of C-suite positions, compared with 17% in 2015. But progress has been much slower at the entry and manager levels.

Also, the corporate pipeline is not as healthy as the numbers suggest. Women remain underrepresented across the pipeline, a gender gap that persists regardless of race and ethnicity. “Simply put, men outnumber women at every level,” the report says.

Sure, progress has been slow, but it is moving in the right direction. We are reminded of that every year we launch our Top Women in Health, Wellness & Beauty awards program. The women in the retail pharmacy, beauty and CPG sectors are making strong gains.

The sixth annual awards program singles out exceptional women in three categories—Business Excellence, Commitment to Care and Rising Stars—recognizing those who are making strides in various levels of their careers. The program is a celebration of the past and the present, honoring the women who are making or have made outstanding contributions to their companies and their communities. It also gives us a glimpse of the future CEOs and VPs.

Join us in saying congratulations to all the women who received recognition.