Has the diversity and inclusion discourse reached saturation point?

Gender equality in business is not just a matter of fairness, quotas, or reputation. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies are essential because they address persistent and exclusionary historical inequalities. When well managed, they also become a strategic asset that broadens perspectives, drives innovation, and attracts global talent. However, their potential remains largely undervalued. 

An important risk adds to this: the discourse moves faster than practices. In this regard, 70% of women executives believe society perceives saturation of the discourse due to excessive political appropriation, superficial initiatives, and the trivialization of equality issues. 

Equality is safeguarded through measurable results, traceability, and a direct connection to competitiveness

This is one of the most striking conclusions of the Esade Gender Monitor 2025, developed by Esade Women Initiative together with Eugenia Bieto, Anaclara González, and Patricia Cauqui to take the pulse of female leadership in Spain. 

The study reveals a significant contrast: companies have improved their equality narratives and formal plans, but the real impact is still limited, while structural and cultural barriers continue to keep women away from the highest levels of responsibility. 

Limited progress on gender equality

In Europe, women held 33% of board positions in 2024. Spain surpassed this average with 35.1% in the IBEX. This is notable progress compared to 2017, when women held only 19.1% of positions in Spain and 22% in Europe, according to the Gender Equality Index 2017. 

But progress slows at the top. The so-called “Drop to the Top” illustrates this well: according to 2024 data from the World Economic Forum, in sectors such as health and services, 67% of employees are women, yet only 36% make it to senior management; in finance, the drop is from 48% to just 21% in leadership roles. 

Regarding corporate culture, perceptions are ambivalent: nearly 52% of female executives consider their organization to be among the most advanced in terms of equality, compared to 41% in 2023. However, 42% admit they have not seen tangible changes following the implementation of equality plans. Commitment is growing in narrative, but its impact on practice remains limited. 

Persistent structural and cultural barriers

The report identifies unconscious bias as the primary barrier shaping women’s career paths. To this are added everyday micro-inequalities — dynamics that reduce visibility at work —, the still-existing pay gap, and the lack of promotion opportunities. 82% of executives perceive unequal treatment that favors men in access to senior management. 

Difficulties with work-life balance and the lack of shared responsibility remain a central obstacle. 82% of respondents report having had to give up some aspect of their personal or professional life because of being women. These sacrifices affect above all leisure time, mental health, physical health, and, in 11% of cases, motherhood. 

Insufficient support networks and the scarcity of female role models in visible positions also weigh heavily. And, in parallel, a new phenomenon: a narrative saturation of DEI discourse that shifts legitimacy toward impact metrics and visible results. 

A decalogue for advancing equality

Alongside the report, the authors of the Esade Gender Monitor 2025 propose a decalogue to turn these findings into action lines: 

• Present equality as an essential competitiveness factor, not just compliance or reputation.
• Strengthen top management’s commitment while also involving managers in leading this matter.
• Set measurable goals linked to existing KPIs in areas such as the gender pay gap and promotion.
• Implement sponsoring and formal mentoring programs with transparent access criteria and monitoring of promoted employees.
• Review evaluation and promotion criteria to weigh impact and results.
• Transform internal culture through unconscious bias training, promotion of female role models, and the development of professional support networks.
• Rebalance work-life dynamics by adopting co-responsible policies so they are not perceived as “female.”
• Establish a permanent communication channel with staff, providing regular and transparent updates on metrics and results of gender equality and promotion plans.
• Avoid rhetorical saturation. Review communications, align narratives, and connect them with visible and coherent actions to prevent feeding social skepticism.
• Incorporate the voice of young professionals in the design of equality policies, understanding their values, expectations, and lower tolerance of inequality. 

Protecting equality in a context of backlash

The international context offers a lesson. In the United States, the backlash against DEI policies has forced several companies to reorient. The ones that resisted were not those that talked about it the most, but those that aligned equality with business objectives, set clear impact metrics, and applied universal measures to the entire workforce. This “stress test” points to a path forward: safeguard the legitimacy of equality with measurable results, traceability, and a direct link to competitiveness. 

Equality is a strategic asset that benefits the whole organization

The report also notes a generational point. Younger professionals are emerging as change agents: they are more aware of their rights, more demanding regarding work-life balance, and less willing to tolerate inequality. 91% of female executives surveyed believe that young women will still have to make sacrifices, though to a lesser extent. At the same time, some warn of a risk: lower ambition or activism compared to previous generations, which could slow momentum if work environments are not designed in line with their values. 

Equality is competitive

The Esade Gender Monitor 2025 delivers a clear message: companies have made progress, but much remains to be done. Equality cannot remain in formal plans or rhetorical commitments with reputational effect. It requires redesigning structures and practices so that female — and diverse — talent reaches and remains in key levels. 

This is not just a matter of justice, but of building more balanced, innovative, resilient, and sustainable organizations. Equality is a strategic asset that benefits the entire organization. Unlocking and insisting on its competitive potential remains a pending task.