Women in the Workplace 2025: Why Corporate America Risks Losing Hard-Won Progress
The 11th Women in the Workplace report from Lean In and McKinsey & Company signals a critical warning: corporate America is at risk of backsliding on gender equity. Only half of companies say they are prioritizing women’s career advancement, and more than three in ten place low or no priority on the advancement of women of color—a continuation of a several-year decline in commitment to gender diversity.
For the first time, researchers also observed a meaningful ambition gap. While 86% of men want to be promoted to the next level, only 80% of women say the same, with the gap widest at the entry and senior levels. Yet the data is clear: when women receive the same sponsorship and career support as men, ambition levels equalize. The problem is that women—especially early-career employees—are not receiving that support. At entry level, just 31% of women have a sponsor compared with 45% of men, and 40% of women have not received a promotion, stretch assignment, or leadership training in the past two years.
These early disparities compound over time, feeding the persistent “broken rung” that prevents women from advancing into management and ultimately senior leadership. Despite progress over the past decade, women remain underrepresented at every step of the corporate pipeline.
The report emphasizes that this trend is reversible—if companies reinvest in the programs and practices that work. Yet some organizations have scaled back initiatives crucial to women’s advancement, including remote work flexibility, formal sponsorship efforts, and targeted career development.
Key recommendations from the 2025 report include:
Strengthen sponsorship: Employees with sponsors are twice as likely to be promoted, yet women continue to have fewer advocates. Companies should build structured sponsorship programs, match employees with leaders who can influence their advancement, and encourage leaders to support talent beyond their existing networks.
Equip managers for career development: Managers often lack time for high-quality coaching. Organizations can use AI and process redesign to reduce administrative loads—and then explicitly direct managers to reinvest that time in career support. Expectations should be reinforced in performance reviews.
Invest in effective bias and inclusion training: One-off sessions are ineffective. The report recommends practical, participatory training paired with ongoing skill-building embedded in regular processes such as annual reviews.
The message is clear: opportunity drives ambition. Companies that design transparent career pathways, ensure fairness in access to growth experiences, and build inclusive cultures see stronger outcomes for women—and stronger performance overall. For organizations that lost focus this year, 2026 must be a year of renewed commitment to advancing women in the workplace.
Read the report https://www.flipsnack.com/78C9ACFF8D6/women-in-the-workplace-2025.html