What Is 'Broken Rung'? Career Continuity Remains Elusive For Indian Women

The 'leaky pipeline' has become a buzzword in workplace lingo, practically dripping from every corporate diversity report. However, it remains a stark and apt metaphor for the systematic loss of female talent across the corporate ladder. The recent McKinsey and Co. 'Women in the Workplace' report 2025 revealed the persistent gender gap across various levels in the workforce.

The survey conducted across 77 domestic companies showed that women in India make up only 24% of managerial positions, 17% of C-suite roles, and 20% of board positions. Moreover, in contrast to the promising female enrolments in higher education, the college-to-corporate pattern continues to have lapses, with only 1 in 3 entry-level jobs held by women.

'Broken rung' phenomenon: Barriers hindering women's transition from entry-level to management roles

The McKinsey report also revealed that the average age of employees at the entry level shows a gender imbalance—39 years for women and 32 years for men. This reveals that many women's entry into the workforce is significantly held back. The transition from entry-level to managerial positions is also slower for women, as men are twice as likely to get promoted.

The report also shows that women at managerial levels or lower are 1.3 times more likely than men to leave the workforce. However, women in senior positions are less likely to exit. The gender disparity in the Indian workforce goes beyond the surface, reflecting a deeper, broader ecosystem of structural and cultural barriers. 

Women's participation in the workforce is shrinking at each stage. This can be attributed to many interrelated factors, including limited access to mentorship and resources, inflexible work environments, socio-cultural expectations, and unconscious biases. Without targeted intervention, the 'leaky pipeline' will continue to drain valuable contributors to India's economy.

Experts weigh in

SheThePeople asked women in leadership about the barriers that women face in the Indian workforce.

"The sharp drop in women’s representation from entry-level roles to leadership positions points to systemic barriers that go beyond hiring," said Madhura Dasgupta Sinha, Founder & CEO, Aspire For Her. "Women face a complex web of challenges right from lack of mentorship and sponsorship, to unconscious bias in performance evaluations, to limited access to flexible work or caregiving support. While it's encouraging that most CEOS recognise gender diversity as a strategic priority, intent must translate into sustained accountability."

Dasgupta-Sinha added how employees can take responsibility of going beyond "tick-box policies" and support women through data-driven tracking of outcomes, inclusive leadership, and targeted programs like mentorship, sponsorship, and flexible work models. "Gender diversity at the top isn’t just a moral imperative, but also a business advantage we can’t afford to ignore," she said.

Yamini Atmavilas, Lead, Gender Equity vertical, and Director at Dasra, concurred, adding that the drop-offs in women’s representation in leadership reflect a structural market failure. "We aren’t converting human capital investments into development and well-being outcomes. Across sectors, the imbalance is glaring, especially in healthcare, a sector where women power the system, comprising 80% of nursing staff and nearly a third of medical doctors, yet hold only 18% of leadership roles. This isn’t a pipeline problem—it’s a systemic one," she detailed.

Atmavilas added that safe and encouraging workspaces will not only benefit female employees but everyone else as well. "What we need to do to make workplaces better for women will improve them for men as well. These aren’t separate sops. The way forward demands that we fix the gaps, through structured career pathways incorporating learnings from over the years, that identify the actual barriers to growth for women."

"To truly move the needle on women in leadership, we must actively re-examine promotion and mid-level advancement, supporting women to stay, grow, and lead. Some progressive policies, e.g care support, family leave, safe workplaces, return-to-work programs, and active mentorship, can help women and men - not only participate, but thrive," she said."

Reversing the trend of women exiting the workforce is not only a matter of policy changes or corporate schemes, but a fundamental shift in how workplaces are structured and led. As displayed in the "broken rung," progress lies not just in appointing more women to leadership roles, but in ensuring that the path to those roles is seamless, accessible, and fair from the very beginning.

Views expressed are the author's own.