Female expat senior managers in Shanghai discuss upward mobility in the global workforce

Only 4% of CEO positions in global Fortune 500 companies are held by women. Despite study after study proving that companies with female leadership actually outperform those run by men, the gender gap persists. 

The gender gap, which affects all types of businesses, continues to make headlines, whether that’s a gap in pay, a gap in participation or a gap in the numbers of women on boards. 

With regard to mobility, 70% of females are willing to work abroad, but only 25% of employees doing so are female. To further explore this issue, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce recently sponsored a conference in Shanghai addressing gender equality in the global workplace. In this article, three executive women from the banking industry offer their insights to questions like:

• When talking about quotas, some would argue that there should be a fixed percent of women and a fixed percent of men instead of just recruiting based on competence. What's your take on that?
• Do you think women have to be more man-like to achieve leadership positions, or should they just be themselves?
• What tailored support should be given to women when it comes to corporate culture?
• What advice do you have for women striving for an executive position?