Gender diversity in the C-suite is viewed as a financial advantage by some businesses, and the number of women holding leadership roles globally has increased over the past two decades. In the past year, however, the percentage of women in leadership declined, an annual Grant Thornton report shows.
Women in Business 2026: The Value of Visibility said that gender-balanced leadership can drive sharper decision-making, strengthen innovation, and accelerate growth. To unlock these benefits, the report said, “leaders must invest visibly in female talent and clearly communicate the commercial value of diverse leadership”.
Grant Thornton surveyed senior leaders in midsize businesses from 35 countries.
All regions apart from Europe have a lower percentage of senior female leaders in 2026, the report found. And Europe’s rise was slight — 35% in 2026, up from 34.9% in 2025.
However, more middle-market organisations in 2026 reported having gender-equality strategies in place in areas such as pay (42.2%, up 2.9 percentage points from 2025), recruitment and selection (41.1%, up 2 percentage points), and senior management positions (40.9%; up 3 percentage points).
Middle-market leaders see value in diversity
While larger companies have retreated on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, many mid-size businesses are continuing to emphasise diversity. More than 90% of mid-market companies have DEI initiatives in place; more than three-quarters say they are committed to such initiatives; and more than a third plan to introduce new measures.
Among those planning to introduce new gender-equality measures, 73% of businesses grew their revenue by more than 5%, and 56.2% grew their staff levels by more than 5%.
Some middle-market executives see value in a gender-diverse leadership team. In the survey, 22.1% believe that such diversity leads to being more innovative; 19.5% think their teams make better decisions; and 18.8% believe their company has improved financial performance.
Overall, the percentage of senior management positions in mid-market businesses held by women has dropped globally: 32.9% in 2026 compared with 34% in 2025. Over the past 22 years, the report said, female representation in leadership has risen more than 13 percentage points.
Even though the overall percentage of women in leadership slightly declined, the report said, there was “an increase in female leaders across some C-suite roles”. For example, 23.8% of global CEO roles are held by women, an increase of more than 2 percentage points from 2025 in Grant Thornton’s data.
CFO is the second-most common leadership role held by women — 39% of finance chiefs in Grant Thornton’s data are women. Only human resources has a higher percentage of women (43%) in the top role.
Diversity: A growth, talent lever
Diversity initiatives remain part of companies’ strategies for attracting talent.
According to the report, more than 90% of middle-market leaders say they personally consider a company’s gender-equality initiatives when applying for a new role. For two-thirds, it’s a priority.
Candidate expectations at some of the companies are shifting quickly. Nearly a quarter of middle-market businesses (23%) report potential hires asking about gender balance — up more than 14 percentage points from last year.
“When initiatives are seen, they inspire talent, secure investment, and differentiate your business in competitive markets,” the report said. “Giving space to a wider range of perspectives can help prevent setbacks in gender equality while positioning your organisation as a leader in inclusive growth.”
— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Steph Brown at Stephanie.Brown@aicpa-cima.com.
