'Persistent' glass ceiling | Number of FTSE 250 female executive directors down 11% since 2022

The glass ceiling for women in executive-level positions at FTSE 250 companies remains ‘stubbornly in place,’ the 25^th annual Female FTSE Board Report has revealed.

The report, produced by Cranfield University, found that the number of women in executive positions in the FTSE 250 dropped by 11% from 47 in 2022 to 42 in 2024.

Maternity bias, childcare policies, and male-dominated executive teams were all named as major barriers contributing to the decline.

Cranfield University’s research also identified an ‘executive gender paradox,’ with the decline in women holding executive director roles countered by a rise in the representation of women in non-executive director roles.