Why Women’s First Promotion Often Becomes Their Last: The Broken Rung in Corporate Leadership

For many women in India’s workforce, the first promotion marks not the beginning of an upward climb but the start of a slowdown. Despite entering companies in significant numbers, qualified and capable, women begin to disappear from the leadership pipeline as they move beyond entry-level roles.

The latest Great Place To Work India report exposes this stark reality: while women make up 26% of the workforce, their presence falls to 19% at front-line manager roles, 16% at mid-management, 15% at executive levels, and only 8% in CEO positions.

This trajectory is often called the broken rung—the fragile step where women secure their first leadership role but struggle to move higher. Behind these numbers are stories of women who celebrated an initial promotion only to find future opportunities blocked by invisible barriers.

The Narrowing Funnel
Instead of resembling a ladder, women’s career paths often resemble a funnel: broad participation at entry level, sharp drop-offs at each rung of management, and a near-empty representation at the top. Many women are sidelined after their first promotion, overlooked for stretch assignments, or eventually leave due to lack of support.

Invisible Barriers
The slowdown is not about lack of talent but systemic hurdles:

• Subjective promotion decisions based on perceptions of “readiness.”

• Scarce sponsorship—while mentors advise, sponsors actively lobby, and few women receive this crucial backing.

• Career breaks for caregiving, too often seen as gaps in commitment rather than pauses requiring structured reintegration.

• Hybrid work bias, where visibility still outweighs performance, leading to missed advocacy for women working flexibly.

• Flawed appraisals that reward long hours and solo wins over collaborative or flexible approaches.

What Works: Fixing the Broken Rung
Companies that have made progress adopted three clear strategies:

1. Transparent promotion pathways with clear eligibility criteria and regular audits of outcomes.

2. Formal sponsorship programs, assigning senior leaders to actively advocate for high-potential women.

3. Structured re-entry programs, ensuring women returning from caregiving receive stretch assignments, mentorship, and training to regain momentum.

Some firms have gone further, linking leadership incentives to measurable diversity and inclusion goals—turning intent into board-level accountability.

The Way Forward
The broken rung is not destiny but design. By reforming how promotions are structured, how visibility is rewarded, and how career breaks are treated, companies can ensure that a woman’s first promotion is not her last.

Repairing this critical step will not only give women a fairer chance to climb but also strengthen organizations with diverse, resilient leaders who can drive long-term growth.