A groundbreaking report demanding the removal of significant barriers preventing women from reaching leadership positions has been published today by CBI Wales and the University of South Wales.
The Three Key Barriers to Women's Leadership
The study, titled From Aspiration to Action: Women's Leadership Pathways in Wales, identifies three primary obstacles holding women back. Cultural signals within workplace environments and structural issues like being given increased responsibility without adequate support rank as major concerns. The research also highlights how personal priorities, including valuing work-life balance over career advancement, play a crucial role.
Launched at the CBI Wales Women in Leadership Network's AGM at Principality House in Cardiff, the report presents compelling statistics. It found that 86% of surveyed women believe leadership still disproportionately favours specific personality types or groups.
The Impact of Wellbeing and Caring Responsibilities
Wellbeing pressures are significantly impacting career trajectories. An overwhelming 83% of respondents expressed concerns about burnout, while 87% stated they are less attracted to leadership roles due to the potential negative effect on their work-life balance.
Caring responsibilities present another substantial hurdle, with 82% confirming these duties make progressing into leadership more difficult. Furthermore, 72% believe that part-time or flexible workers are systematically excluded from leadership opportunities.
Access to support remains a critical issue, as only 10% of participants reported being able to access mentoring schemes, despite mentoring being widely recognised by HR professionals as a powerful tool for building confidence and capability.
Call to Action and Recommended Solutions
The report issues a clear call for change, urging organisations to tackle limiting cultural norms, widen access to flexible development, and expand mentoring programmes to support women at various career stages.
Co-authored by Dr Lauren Josie Thomas, HR lecturer Jayde Howard, and Dr Shehla Khan of the University of South Wales, the research emphasises that universities, policymakers, and professional networks must collaborate to create evidence-based solutions for more inclusive leadership pathways.
The core recommendations focus on three areas: making leadership roles more sustainable and supportive through redesigned work patterns; expanding inclusive development and mentoring with visible role models; and working to dismantle invisible barriers for LGBTQ+, disabled, and neurodivergent professionals.
Russell Greenslade, CBI Wales director, commented: "Achieving success in the workplace is often seen as a given for many male employees. But the pathway to career progression remains less clear and supported for women than it is for men."
Greer Hooper, Chair of the CBI Wales Women in Leadership Network, added: "This year's report is a call to action for all of us to move beyond discussion and accelerate real progress."
Dr Lauren Josie Thomas provided crucial insight, stating: "For many men, progression still looks like a pipeline; structured, supported, and predictable. For many women, it feels more like a puzzle of missing pieces, invisible rules, and extra barriers to navigate."
