In ways good and bad, 2018 was a big year for women. A record-breaking number of women ran for office—and won. Trailblazing women around the world became “the first.” Countries and companies took important steps to support women and families. At the same time, there’s no question that we’re still a long way from equality.
To get a better sense of what 2018 represented for women’s progress, we took a closer look at one realm in particular: work. What happens in the workplace tells us a lot about whether women are gaining power and opportunity—or whether we’re frozen in place or falling behind.
3. Source: Women in the Workplace
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Entry Level Manager Sr Manager/
Director
VP SVP C-Suite
EQUALITY
2015
Men
Women
4. Source: Women in the Workplace
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Entry Level Manager Sr Manager/
Director
VP SVP C-Suite
EQUALITY
2016
Men
Women
5. Source: Women in the Workplace
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Entry Level Manager Sr Manager/
Director
VP SVP C-Suite
EQUALITY
2017
Men
Women
6. Source: Women in the Workplace
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Entry Level Manager Sr Manager/
Director
VP SVP C-Suite
EQUALITY
2018
Men
Women
7. 1 in 5 C-suite leaders
is a woman…
Source: Women in the Workplace; Image: Daly and Newton/OJO Images/Getty Images
8. And only 1 in 25 is a
woman of color
Source: Women in the Workplace; Image: Peathegee Inc/Getty Images
19. “My manager helps me navigate
organizational politics”
Less support
from managers
Allmen
Allwomen
Whitewomen
Latinas
Lesbianwomen
41%
37%
39%
32%
30%
25%
35%
Black
women
Asianwomen
Source: Women in the Workplace
20. “I’ve NEVER had an informal
interaction with a senior leader”
Fewer
interactions with
senior leaders
Allmen
Allwomen
Whitewomen
Asianwomen
Latinas
Blackwomen
Lesbianwomen
40%
49%
47%
45%
54%
59%
47%
Source: Women in the Workplace
22. Twice as likely
to be mistaken
for someone
more junior
Source: Women in the Workplace; Image: RichVintage/E+/Getty Images
23. Twice as likely to
need to provide
more evidence of
their competence
Source: Women in the Workplace; Image: Image Source/Image Source/Getty Images
24. 1.5 times more likely
to be addressed in a
less-than-professional
way
Source: Women in the Workplace; Image: Geraint Rowland Photography/Moment/Getty Images
25. of women in corporate America
have been sexually harassed
35%
Source: Women in the Workplace
26. 90% 88%
of women in the
restaurant industry
of women
construction workers
Source: Harvard Business Review, National Women’s Law Center
27. 1 in 5 women
are “Onlys”
Source: Women in the Workplace; Image: MATJAZ SLANIC/E+/Getty Images
62. Source: The Washington Post; Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images News
And 9
governorships…
63. Their diversity is
record-breaking too
Source: The New York Times; Images: Alex Wong, Whitney Curtis, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News, Jamey Guy/Minnesota Monthly
64. Now the 2020 presidential race is on!
Source: WGBH; Images: Aaron P. Bernstein, Chip Somodevilla, Drew Angerer, Mason Trinca/Getty Images News
79. Source: The New York Times; Image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News
Tammy Duckworth
became the first
U.S. Senator to
give birth in office
80. Source: The Guardian; Image: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images Entertainment
Stacey Cunningham
became the first woman
to head the New York
Stock Exchange
81. Source: CNN; Image: U.S. Army
Laura Richardson became
the first woman to lead
the largest U.S. Army
command
82. Source: Marie Claire; Image: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images Entertainment
Ava DuVernay
became the highest-
grossing Black woman
director in history
83. Source: The Washington Post; Image: Getty Images News
Kendall Coyne
Schofield was the first
woman to compete in
the NHL All-Star skills
competition
84. Source: The Washington Post; Image: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images Europe
Angela Ponce became
the first transgender
woman to compete in the
Miss Universe Pageant
85. Source: Earther; Image: Cultbizztech
Greta Thunberg
launched the first-ever
school strike for climate
86. Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, dedicated citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it is the
only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
87. Special thanks to
This presentation contains stock photographs, for
illustrative purposes only, and does not show persons
who have actually experienced the events or
situations addressed.
Images on cover: Ian Ross Pettigrew/Moment/Getty Images, Morsa Images/DigitalVision/Getty Images, Tara Moore/DigitalVision/Getty Images