Women remain underrepresented in boardrooms globally, holding just 23.3% of board seats according to the 2024 Deloitte Women in the Boardroom report.

This follows decades of work to increase the participation of women in the top levels of business. The figures remain low despite the fact that the upside is clear. The many companies worldwide who have changed the composition of their boardrooms have found that it’s good for the bottom line because it’s good for the people working in the organisation.

Like these companies, AltoPartners is committed to furthering gender diversity by identifying, cultivating and placing suitable candidates in the boardroom. To mark International Women’s Day 2025, we took an in-depth look at the state-of-play, bringing insights from our top board practitioners in Argentina, Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Ireland, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

This report reflects their optimism at the progress to date, their acknowledgement of the long road ahead, and their commitment to furthering gender diversity by continuing to identify, cultivate and place suitable candidates in the boardroom.

Our special report examines the systemic barriers to progress that hinder women’s ascent to board positions; and moving beyond the statistics and global data, our contributors provide meaningful and practical advice for both organisations (to help them become more inclusive) and women aspiring to board roles.

These conversations took place amid announcements of significant changes to existing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes by the government of the United States and select corporations in the USA. Like many in the industry, we continue to process the implications for businesses globally. As the situation unfolds, we are hopeful businesses will seize this pivotal moment to rethink and reshape their strategies for fostering a diverse and welcoming environment, based on the belief that such workplaces are good for business and for society.

With contributions and leading insights from Verena Acerbi; Sonal Agrawal; Veronica Biggins; Claire Cronin; Julie Garland McLellan; Claudia Hardy; Carol Leonard; Mpho Nkeli; Sandra Olive; Ranju Shergill; Lauren E. Smith; Claudia Stempkowski; Charlotte Wetterlundh and Julia Zdrahal-Urbanek

Download and read the full Women on Boards - Global Executive Search Consultants’ Perspectives : AltoPartners International Women’s Day 2025 Report “ here

Researched and written by Gail Strauss and Renee Moodie