Although the UK has seen the overall female representation in leadership increase by 1.8% since 2018, their proportion continues to be significantly low as they progress up the career ladder. While women make up 46.9% of entry-level positions, this drops to 34.3% at the director level and 25.9% at the C-suite – a trend known as ‘seniority slump’.

So-called tall poppy syndrome could also be to blame, after a 2022 study found that almost 90% of women say they have been penalised because of their achievements at work.

The landscape is even worse for women of colour. According to the recently released Hidden Truth: Diversity And Inclusion In The FTSE All-Share report, women of colour hold less than 1% of top boardroom roles.

The number of women being hired into senior leadership positions is on the decline