The Women’s Leadership Gap

In a new article from the Center for American Progress, Judith Warner shares updated statistics on women in leadership positions in business, government, and academia. She writes,

Women make up a majority of the U.S. population. They earn almost 60 percent of undergraduate degrees, 60 percent of all master’s degrees, 47 percent of all law degrees, and 48 percent of all medical degrees. Yet their presence in top leadership positions—as equity law partners, medical school deans, and corporate executive officers—remains stuck at a mere 10 percent to 20 percent.

Some statistics she shares include the numbers of women in state and local elected office.  According to the article,

  • Women were a smaller percentage of the vote in the 2014 midterm elections than in 2012 and 2010.

  • Women today hold only 24.3 percent of seats in state legislatures.

  • They are only 12 percent of governors and only 17 percent of the mayors of the 100 largest American cities.

  • Women of color make up 4.0 percent of governors and 5.2 percent of state legislators.

See more statistics on the women’s leadership gap in business, finance, tech, film, and politics from the Center for American Progress.

MACo’s Summer Conference Women of MACo Luncheon on Friday, August 14, will feature a presentation on women in leadership positions in local government by Dr. Emilia Istrate of the National Association of Counties.

Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference:

For a schedule of educational sessions at MACo’s Summer Conference, please view theRegistration Brochure.

Questions? Contact Meetings & Events Director Virginia White.