Female Presence in Catalan Business Management: Key Data

On 17 October, and with the premise of the presentation of the study “The presence of women on boards of directors and at senior management level in companies in Catalonia 2024″, we participated in a panel discussion of the session organised by the Observatori Dona, Empresa i Econòmica de la Cambra de Comerç de Barcelona.

Iñaki Saltor intervened from Saltor Talent, together with Begoña Mundo (Vice President and Executive Director of Tema – Litoclean), Silvia Alsina (Owner and CEO of Roman) and Raquel Carrasco (General Director of Veolia Services Catalonia and the Balearic Islands). The session was moderated by Elena Busquets, Director of VIA Empresa, which published an article with the main conclusions of the session. 

To sum up, the underlying message is that Catalan companies still face a significant challenge in terms of female representation in leadership positions. According to recent data published in the above-mentioned study: 

• Only 25.3% of management positions in Catalonia are held by women. The highest percentages of female directors are observed in the directorates of advertising, human resources, finance, marketing, quality and deputy general management. On the other hand, the lowest percentages are in technical management, production, general management, IT, operations and data. 

• In General Management positions: 16.2%

• On boards of directors: 18.8%

• In Presidency positions: 19.3%.

And what is perhaps more worrying is that the evolution of the figures is being slower than expected. In the last 3 years, little progress has been made, and we are still far from parity, as the image below indicates: 

These data reveal that, despite the efforts and regulations that promote diversity, gender parity in senior management is still far from being achieved. Although progress has been made, the gap is still significant, and to close the gap it is important that “second-line women” (those in skilled or intermediate positions) are able to step up soon. 

In conclusion, female representation in management positions in Catalan companies is still a pending issue. The data show that, although progress has been made, the pace of progress is too slow to reach parity in the near future. It is crucial that organizations take a more decisive approach to removing barriers that prevent women from rising, especially from middle positions. Only with a collective effort, including structural change and sustained commitment, can we achieve a truly inclusive and equitable business environment.