Despite years of progress, women still remain significantly underrepresented in leadership positions – particularly in tech and business.
According to McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace report, women hold just over a quarter of C-suite roles globally, while representation drops even further in technical leadership positions. Meanwhile, research from World Economic Forum suggests it could take over a century to close the global gender gap at the current pace.
The issue, as both of these reports point out, is a lack of access, visibility and structural support. Higher education institutions, companies and policy makers, are often quick to point out the problems, but now we need to move from conversation to action.
There are practical steps organisations and institutions can take to help boost the number of women in leadership.
Here, I’ll outline four of these steps, based on the initiative at Porto Business School, “She Explores Forward. She Leads the Change”, which aims to accelerate female leadership by equipping women with the tools, networks, and confidence they need to progress.
Offer targeted financial support for education and training
One of the most persistent barriers to leadership is access to education, particularly in high-growth areas like tech and STEM, according to the World Bank. Many women opt out of opportunities because they lack encouragement or resources. Targeted funding helps remove these barriers.
In higher education, scholarships and funding designed specifically for women can play a vital role in levelling the playing field. By reducing financial constraints, more women are enabled to pursue advanced education, and access leadership training programmes, helping them to transition into higher levels in their careers.
These scholarships should both reward achievement and recognise potential. Ensuring women can access higher education is essential to creating more balanced leadership.
Build strong mentoring networks
Leaders rarely get to the top by themselves. Offering women access to mentors and sponsors who can offer advice and support can dramatically shape career trajectories.
LeanIn.Org & McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2025 report highlights that women with mentors are more likely to be promoted, yet less likely than men to have senior sponsors.
Designing structured mentoring programmes that connect women with peers and industry leaders can help bridge this gap. They also create a sense of belonging – something that is often lacking in male-dominated industries like tech.
The most effective initiatives go beyond one-to-one mentoring and build ecosystems of support, where women can share experiences, exchange opportunities, and grow together.
Tackle bias and reshape leadership culture
Even with the right qualifications and networks, women often face invisible barriers, such as unconscious bias and outdated perceptions of leadership. A study from MIT Sloan finds that female employees are less likely to be promoted than their male counterparts, despite outperforming them and being less likely to quit.
Initiatives that actively challenge these outdated norms are essential. Alumni-led groups and professional communities can play a powerful role here, creating spaces to address bias, promote inclusive leadership, and advocate for systemic change.
Diverse leadership teams are consistently linked to better decision-making and financial outcomes. Yet many organisations still operate within narrow definitions of what a “leader” looks like.
Shifting this requires deliberate action: training, awareness, and visible commitment from leadership. It also requires celebrating different leadership styles, ones that are collaborative, empathetic, and purpose-driven, not just traditional, top-down models.
Equip women with leadership-specific skills and opportunities
Programmes focused on leadership development for women can help close critical gaps in areas such as communication, negotiation and decision-making. These are often the skills that determine progression to senior roles but are less frequently taught.
Executive education and training programmes can provide this targeted development. Initiatives like leadership accelerators and “women on boards” programmes are particularly impactful, helping women step into positions of governance and influence.
Equally important is visibility. Sharing real stories of women who have navigated leadership journeys, particularly in tech and business, can inspire others and make leadership feel more attainable.
What progress looks like
By combining financial support, mentoring, community-building, and leadership training, the problem can be addressed from multiple angles.
This is what progress looks like: connected ecosystems designed to support women at every stage of their careers.
For organisations looking to increase the number of women in leadership, it’s not enough to encourage women to ‘lean in’, the system itself needs to evolve. At Porto Business School, this shift from conversation to action is brought to life through the “She Explores Forward. She Leads the Change” movement. Designed as a practical leadership development initiative, it equips women with the skills, confidence, and networks needed to overcome structural barriers and step into leadership roles.
From scholarships in STEM and tech, to mentoring, alumni-led communities, and targeted leadership development programmes like The Boldness Way and Women on Boards, the school is supporting women at every stage to create real progress.
Because accelerating women into leadership is not just a matter of equity. It is a strategic imperative for organizations and for society.
