12 January 2015 – The last 20 years has seen a surge in the number of women employed in senior and middle management positions， according to a new United Nations report， which notes that although all-male company boards are decreasing in number， more must be done to achieve gender parity.

The study， released by the International Labour Organization （ILO） and entitled Women in Business and Management： Gaining Momentum， covers 80 of the 108 countries for which ILO data is available.

Despite the headway made in equalizing the gender gap at management levels， only five per cent or less of the CEOs of the world’s largest corporation are women， the report points out， adding that the larger the company， the less likely it is that a woman will be at its head.

In addition， the report’s findings show that women own and manage over 30 per cent of all businesses but that they are more likely to be found in micro and small enterprises. As a result， helping women grow their businesses remains not only critical for increasing gender equality but also for overall national economic development.

The report thus outlines a number of recommendations to close the remaining gender gap， including seeking ‘flexible solutions’ to manage work and family time commitments as an alternative to being subject to special treatment or quotas； providing maternity protection coverage and childcare support for professional women； ‘changing mind-sets’ to break cultural barriers and fight sexual harassment； and implementing gender-sensitive human resources policies and measures.

http：//www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp？NewsID=49777#.VLYJZdKl-0Q