Leadership, LinkedIn raises the alarm on the decline of women's leadership
The gender gap report 2025 of the social, launched by the World economic forum explains that women in positions of responsibility are declining by 1.2 per cent: this is the third consecutive year of decline and marks a reversal of the upward trend of the three-year period 2015-2021
3' min read
Key points
3' min read
Women who are hired for leadership positions are declining for the third year in a row. This is according to the gender gap report that was carried out by LinkedIn and will be launched by the World economic forum in collaboration with LinkedIn's Economic graph. In Italy, the drop in the social network's latest survey is 1.2% and marks a step backwards that takes us back to the levels of five years ago and reverses the trend of continuous growth that had occurred between 2015 and 2021.
The risk of bias amplification with Ai
.For LinkedIn career expert, Olga Farreras Casado, this trend reversal should not be underestimated: 'The decline in female recruitment in leadership roles is a wake-up call. In a context where artificial intelligence is reshaping skills and roles, it is crucial not to lose sight of the value that women bring, especially in terms of vision, empathy and adaptability'. The spread of artificial intelligence tools, instead of helping to close the gender gap, if not implemented with the need to overcome it in mind, could magnify the phenomenon. "The data with which we train AI reflects existing biases," continues Farreras Casado, "and we risk replicating and amplifying those biases instead of overcoming them. To really bridge the gap we need concrete actions: transparency in growth paths, more inclusive selection criteria and a willingness to rewrite the rules of the game. The companies that know how to do this will be the true protagonists of change'.
The growth of women at work
.Although women now make up almost half of the workforce in our country, they occupy less than a third of executive, top management and more generally responsible roles, perhaps without being appointed to management positions. It is an alarming trajectory that is being defined, especially since it is set in an economic context undergoing profound transformation driven by artificial intelligence and in an era in which the skills and strengths in which women often excel, also thanks to more heterogeneous career paths, are becoming increasingly strategic.
The LinkedIn survey
.Going into the substance of the survey conducted by LinkedIn, it emerges that globally, the hiring rate of women in leadership roles is declining for the third consecutive year. In Italy, the decline is -1.2%. Globally, this trend brings us to the levels of five years ago, both in terms of recruitment and representation in top management. And it is not just about leadership: the presence of women in the workforce as a whole is stagnating and this is an alarm signal for growth-oriented economies and organisations, just as artificial intelligence is redefining the labour market and the very role of leadership.
Women's points lead
.Between 2019 and 2024, the number of leaders with cross-sector, cross-functional and cross-company experience more than doubled, confirming the value of non-linear careers in times of rapid change. This is an advantageous factor for women who typically have less linear careers than men, especially if they choose to start a family. In addition, women also tend to excel in people skills such as communication, teamwork and creativity, which will be key to successfully integrating AI into work contexts. According to LinkedIn, all of this means that women are 35 per cent more likely than men to possess this type of multidimensional expertise, potentially crucial to the new economy, but without immediate action, the gender gap in leadership is set to widen, with serious repercussions for economic opportunities.
