Women in Leadership: New Programme Aims to Boost Female Representation in Corporate India

Bridging the Gender Gap: IIMK and Emeritus Unveil Leadership Programme for Women

Indian women hold about 23.2% of leadership roles in corporate companies, while men dominate the remaining 76.8%. Specifically, fewer than 12% of women are in CXO positions, and only 1.6% are in Fortune 500 leadership roles. This disparity highlights the ongoing challenge of achieving gender balance in corporate leadership. To address this issue, The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) and ed-tech platform Emeritus have launched a 10-month women's leadership programme to address the gender gap in leadership roles in corporate India. The programme aims to equip women with essential leadership skills, strategic insights, and the confidence to excel in C-suite and board-level positions.

The KPMG Women Leadership in Corporate India Report 2024 reveals that women hold just 23.2% of leadership roles in corporate companies, with fewer than 12% in CXO positions and 1.6% in Fortune 500 leadership. The report also highlights that under 30% of women in entry-level roles progress to senior leadership, stressing the need for efforts to tackle systemic biases and foster inclusive workplaces.

The new programme, designed for mid and senior-level women professionals, features live interactive sessions by IIM Kozhikode faculty, workshops on strategic negotiation, design thinking, and digital transformation, along with capstone projects for hands-on learning. Professor Debashis Chatterjee, director of IIM Kozhikode, emphasized that the programme aims to empower women to bring unique perspectives to leadership roles and drive industry-wide change. The 10-month programme will begin on March 31, 2025.

The programme requires participants to have a minimum of a graduate or diploma qualification (10+2+3) and 5+ years of work experience. The fee is Rs 3.5 lakh plus GST. Conducted through live online sessions, it offers a verified digital certificate and Executive Alumni status upon completion. The programme focuses on overcoming systemic barriers women face in leadership, equipping them with skills in negotiation, decision-making, and strategic thinking to lead high-performing teams.

Editor's Note:

Women remain underrepresented in corporate leadership roles in India, holding only 23.2% of leadership positions, with even fewer in top roles. To address this disparity, the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) and Emeritus has launched a 10-month women’s leadership programme. The programme aims to equip women with the essential skills, insights, and confidence to thrive in C-suite and board-level positions. Such initiatives are crucial for fostering inclusive workplaces and enabling women to advance in their careers.

Skoobuzz believes that investing in leadership development and creating supportive environments will be key to achieving gender balance in corporate leadership.