57% of Men Say Business Leadership is Equal, Only 2% of Women Agree

A new report by recruitment specialist Robert Walters reveals a staggering perception gap on gender equality in Australian workplaces. While 57% of men believe women are not underrepresented in leadership roles, only 2% of women agree.

The findings, published in the company’s latest Women in the Workplace report, are based on a survey of over 2,000 professionals across Australia and New Zealand, examining how gender influences workplace experience, leadership pathways, and organisational culture in 2025.

“The most dangerous barrier to progress is complacency,” says Sinead Hourigan, Robert Walters Global Head of Advisory. “When over half of men believe gender equality in leadership has been achieved while women continue to experience barriers, leaders have to ask: are we making decisions based on everyone’s reality?”

While over half of male respondents believe their organisation has equal representation of strong female leaders, only 31% of women agree. Alarmingly, 28% of women say their workplace is led predominantly by men – more than double the percentage of men (13%) who see it that way.

When asked to identify the cause of gender imbalance in leadership, 67% of women cited bias and opportunity gaps, compared to just 28% of men. A further gender divide emerged around parental leave and return-to-work challenges: 13% of women named this as a key barrier, whilst only 2% of men did.

The numbers behind the leadership imbalance 

Data from LinkedIn Talent Insights shows that women remain underrepresented in leadership. Across Australia and New Zealand, men make up 68% of Executive and C-Suite roles, compared to just 32% of women.

“A leadership gap this wide between men and women is simply unacceptable in 2025,” said Shay Peters, Robert Walters Australia and New Zealand CEO. “We can’t afford to mistake minimal progress for meaningful change, it’s time to drive real, measurable action that truly moves the dial.”

Research shows that organisations with gender-diverse executive teams are 39% more likely to outperform those with little or no diversity at the top.

Reframing merit 

When asked if equal female representation is essential in leadership, 69% of women said yes. But half of male respondents disagreed, arguing “merit should matter more.”

“Gender equality needs to mean that your career trajectory has been determined by your capability and your achievements alone.  Women don’t want an easier path – they want the same path, without barriers.” Hourigan said.

“If we want to build truly merit-based workplaces, then we have to be honest about the fact that not everyone starts from the same position,” adds Peters. “Leaders have a responsibility to create a culture where everyone has a fair chance to progress. That goes beyond just intent – reviewing how leadership is developed, how performance is measured, and how bias is addressed in real decisions. Systemic change takes time, but it starts with being deliberate: setting targets, tracking progress, and being accountable for outcomes – not just effort.”

Time for real change

To accelerate progress on gender equality, the report outlines recommendations for employers:

• Establish structured mentorship and sponsorship programs to support women’s advancement.

• Address unconscious bias through training, leadership accountability, and open dialogue.

• Increase transparency around promotion and leadership criteria.

• Create inclusive cultures where all employees feel supported to grow, regardless of gender.
• Track progress regularly to ensure equity is more than just a stated value.

“We have been training leaders globally on ‘innocent ignorance’ or ‘bias identification’ for many years now and it still confounds me to this day the levels of both conscious and unconscious bias that still exist in most workplaces” concludes Hourigan.  “Education and awareness remain the key factors in ensuring that we reduce the impact that bias can have on effective decision making within an organisation.”

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