The number of women at top management positions as well as on companies’ boards is likely to increase by 2020, a report by consulting and technology company Accenture has said.

While corporate India continues to have a low percentage of top women executives, respondents were optimistic about participation of women at board level, CEO level, and senior management level, the report said.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents (71 per cent) think the number of women on boards will increase by 2020, while seven in 10 (70 per cent) say the number of women CEOs would increase by 2020, the report said.

Moreover, 44 per cent of respondents said their companies are preparing more women for senior management roles than they did last year.

“This noteworthy optimism about the progression of women in the workplace is significant for both employers and employees,” Accenture Managing Director, Global Inclusion & Diversity, Nellie Borrero said.

As much as 44 per cent Indians believe there will be a slight increase in the percentage of women holding CEO positions by 2020. Similar trend is noticed in the US where 66 per cent are optimistic about women participation, followed by the UK (49 per cent).

Around 40 per cent Indians feel there will be a slight increase in the percentage of women who hold seats on Boards of Directors at companies.

While majority of the respondents in India, US, UK and China believe that there will be a slight increase in the number of women in leadership/executive positions by 2020, the respondents from Japan believe that there will be no change.

In India however, 64 per cent women feel that women and men will hold equal executive positions in major companies (such as CEO, CFO, COO) by 2020.

In November 2013, Accenture conducted an online survey of 4,100 business executives from medium to large organisations across 32 countries.

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