Growing opposition to gender equity in the last year, survey finds

After a decade of progress and a few years of stalling, female representation and sentiment around equity practices is taking an alarming dive.

Newly released survey results from Chief Executive Women (CEW) paint a worrying picture for leadership.

Now in its 10th iteration, the Senior Executive Census revealed that surveyed senior women leaders were 2.3 times more likely to report increasing opposition to gender equity over the last 12 months, and 32 per cent identified greater opposition within their own organisation.

Further, one in seven ASX 300 CEO appointments went to women in 2026, compared to one in four in 2025.

While organisations retained formal commitments or policies for gender equity, practical outcomes were another story.

According to Chief Executive Women CEO Lisa Annese, the findings should act as a warning to business leaders.

She said: “In a global climate of open pushback against gender equity, a fall in women’s representation in Australia’s largest companies shows that progress here is under the same pressure.”

HR Leader spoke to Annese to examine the ramifications of the latest findings and what it means for the future of executive leadership.

Annese said: “If gender equity is losing ground where they sit, women further down those organisations are likely encountering something sharper.”

She noted that gender equity is losing consideration to economic uncertainty, artificial intelligence and business performance pressures, noting that equity is being both deprioritised and removed from board papers.

The argument against female affirmative action is often framed as a case for meritocracy, but as Annese explained, is based on a false assumption that existing processes are neutral.

She said: “Women hold 44 per cent of functional roles on ASX 300 executive teams, yet narrow definitions of CEO readiness continue to overlook qualified women. An organisation that keeps looking past these women is applying a narrower standard and calling it merit.

“Almost 80 per cent of CEW members have caring responsibilities, reflecting the range of experiences they bring to their leadership roles. Employers need to make flexible work accessible across levels and functions without career penalties, and review pay, promotion and departures for gender disparities.”

The report also found that female representation within ASX 300 executive leadership teams fell for the first time in 10 years, while the number of ASX 300 companies with no women on their executive teams rose 8 per cent.

ASX 300 CEO pipeline roles also fell two percentage points.

CEW president Helen Conway said the scale of this year’s decline should force a broader reconsideration of complacency towards female underreppresentation.

She concluded: “The 2026 CEW Census puts every board and executive team on notice that harwon gains can no longer be taken for granted.”

Annese said: “CEW members are some of the most senior women leaders in the country, and when they note growing and open opposition to gender equity across some of Australia's largest companies, it is a warning to every business leader that the progress women have made in leadership is at risk.”

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