The reality gap: Three Barriers to women’s advancement in European corporates
Our study surveyed almost 2,400 women across Germany, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland and found significant obstacles limiting women’s advancement to senior roles.
Download the full report, The reality gap: Three Barriers to women’s advancement in European corporates, for a detailed look at the findings and strategic insights for driving meaningful change.
Here’s a snapshot of what we uncovered:
Gender stereotypes continue to pervade the workplace, negatively impacting women. Despite high gender equity rankings, more than 50% of women surveyed report challenges from low self-confidence to gender stereotypes – proof that legislation alone isn’t enough.
Women are not finding it easy to have their voice heard. Across all four countries, women express a widespread fear of speaking in meetings due to professional repercussions.
Intersectionality compounds inequity, making it even harder for some women at work. Disabled women encounter the greatest barriers, while Black women receive the least support yet take on more domestic responsibilities.
The double burden is not lightening. Over half of executive women surveyed feel they’re ‘failing as parents’, underscoring the need for work cultures that support leadership advancement without sacrificing balance.
Country-specific insights
Our research provides an in-depth analysis of barriers to women’s advancement across Germany, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, highlighting both shared challenges – such as microaggressions, gender stereotypes, and self-confidence barriers – and country-specific contrasts, such as Spain’s struggle with the ‘likeability penalty’ and Switzerland’s negotiation penalties, to reveal how cultural and regulatory contexts shape the landscape of gender equity in each region.
Building on our Three Barriers UK insights
Expanding upon Shape Talent’s 2022 corporate UK study, this report uncovers both common and distinct challenges across geographies. Explore how these insights can empower your complex multi-national organisation to advance gender equity with a targeted, locally informed approach.
Why this research matters right now
As the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 draws to a close, this report asks a crucial question: how much progress has truly been made? Legislation alone is not enough to close the gender gap – organisations must actively dismantle these barriers.
Download our report to explore actionable strategies for creating equitable workplaces.