Women in Leadership in Life Sciences 2023 Report

Introducing the industry leading Women in Leadership in Life Sciences white paper. To produce this white paper - all 32 pages, 8,500 words - we went on a mission to truly understand the experiences of our valued Life Sciences network, gathering their opinions on the industry. Over 4,600 individuals lent their voices, providing invaluable insight into the different experiences men and women face in the workplace. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg because our investigation didn’t stop with our network! Drawing on external studies, we explore the factors contributing to the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, strategies for attracting and supporting more women in leadership positions, and much more...

Watch our LinkedIn Live event discussing topics in the white paper

As the late great US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made,” and yet when it comes to the workplace, fewer women are running large-scale companies than men named John!

The fact is, there is no shortage of women to fill leadership roles. Statistics show that women outnumber and outperform men in schools and colleges, earning the majority of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. They account for nearly half (47%) of the US workforce, yet they hold less than 20% of top leadership roles. 

More than that, women’s talents and skills are vitally important in the world of work. Research proves that female voices and experiences are invaluable assets in strategic decision-making, increasing emotional commitment and pushing teams to achieve success. 

On the whole, 78% of businesses reveal that gender diversity is important in their leadership ranks, yet 53% of people don’t think women will achieve gender parity with men in top executive positions in the foreseeable future. A detail only backed up by the Global Gender Gap report, which found that at our current rate of progress, it will take an enormous 132 years to reach full gender parity. 

For reference, prior to the pandemic, the global gender gap was set to close within 100 years. 

As a progressive industry known for innovation, Life Sciences’ commitment to diversity and inclusion is well documented. But, for the industry to continue to evolve, the gender gap is one priority that we must tackle.

So, how and why has progress slumped?

It’s widely known that throughout history, men have long outnumbered women in the workforce, but even today, for every 100 men promoted from entry-level to managerial positions, only 87 women receive promotions. This means that significantly more men than women continue to sit in the highest ranks of business, and according to McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2022 report, inequality, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to be reducible.

A key reason for that is that now, in the post-pandemic world, there are nearly two million fewer women in the workforce, and last year it was reported that female leaders are switching jobs at the highest rates ever seen!

Throughout our report, we’ll investigate the barriers women in leadership face, the gender pay gap within the Life Sciences sphere, how a lack of flexibility in C-suite positions disproportionately affects women, what sub-sectors attract the highest rate of female employees, and what the Life Sciences industry can do to attract and support more women in leadership roles.

Download the full document for more!