5 years of ‘Women in the Workplace’: Little progress for Asians, Blacks, and Latinas

Little progress for Asian, Black, and Latina women in the C-suite across 5 years of ‘Women in the Workplace’ reports from 2018 to 2023 by LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company. In 2023, 6% of C-suite executives were women of color compared to 4% in 2018. Women of color face the steepest drop-off in representation from entry-level to C-suite positions. Asian women are overlooked even though they have high ambitions and overall higher performance ratings. Asian and Black women are less likely to have senior sponsors. Asian, Black, and Latina women continue to experience microaggressions. Core areas for companies to focus on include fixing the broken rung for women, with a focus on women of color, and addressing microaggressions head on.

Little progress for Asian, Black and Latina women in the C-suite across 5 years of ‘Women in the Workplace’ reports from 2018 to 2023 by LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company. In 2023, 6% of C-suite executives were women of color and 22% were White women compared to 4% and 19% in 2018 respectively. The largest 5-year percentage gain was experienced by men of color, from 9% in 2018 to 15% in 2023. Despite progress, White men and White women overwhelming represent 79% of C-suite executives in 2023, but down from 87% in 2018. This change was mainly driven by a 5-year percentage decline of 11% for White men.

Persistent challenges

Women of color face the steepest drop-off in representation from entry-level to the C-suite. As they move up the ladder, their representation drops by two-thirds. Asian women are overlooked even though they have high ambitions and overall higher performance ratings. Women of color continue to experience microaggressions. Asian and Black women are more likely confused with someone else of the same race and ethnicity, while Asian and Latina women are more likely to have colleagues comment on their culture or nationality.

Weak allyship and lack of sponsorship

Women of color are more ambitious yet receive less support than White women. Asian women are more ambitious than men, and Latinas are as equally ambitious as men. 51% of Asian women, 44% of Latinas, and 38% of Black women want to be a top executive, compared to 29% of White women and 45% of all men.

Asian and Black women are less likely than White women to have senior sponsors. Only 10% of employee allies mentor or sponsor women of color.

For senior-level men and women, senior-level women are much more likely than senior-level men to practice allyship and mentor or sponsor women of color. 23% of senior-level men mentor or sponsor women of color compared to 38% of senior-level women.

Report recommendations

The 2023 report recommends that for companies to support and advance women, they should focus on five core areas:

• Tracking outcomes for women’s representation
• Empowering managers to be effective people leaders
• Addressing microaggressions head on
• Unlocking the full potential of flexible work
• Fixing the broken rung, with a focus on women of color

Helpful Resources

Women in the Workplace reports, 2018-2023 (LeanIn.org)

Women in the Workplace 2023 report (McKinsey & Company)

Asian Women in Leadership with Dr. Yon Na, PhD (MyAsianVoice)