Supporting each other, achieving together

At McKinsey, we have a deep and longstanding commitment to advancing parity for women in work and in society. To date, we've invested more than $20 million USD in original research on the importance of women in leadership positions and in the economy.

Inclusion and diversity have always been core to our mission and values, our research inspired us to accelerate our efforts to advance gender parity within our firm. Using our global reach, we share our insights, convene partnerships for action, and serve clients, to inform critical decision-makers with the power to make real change.

The Broken Rung

The Broken Rung, a book aimed at helping women in the first decade of their careers build their "experience capital," level the playing field, and unlock their full potential, will be released on March 11, 2025. Written by Kweilin Ellingrud, Lareina Yee, and María del Mar Martínez—three senior partners who also served as our first three consecutive chief diversity and inclusion officers—the book offers valuable insights for women navigating the corporate world.

The book examines how women, despite outperforming men academically and achieving higher graduation rates, lose their advantage once they enter the workforce. In fact, for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 81 women advance, causing women to fall behind early on—long before reaching the “glass ceiling.”

The Broken Rung draws on over a decade of research, conversations with more than 50 influential leaders, and the authors’ personal experiences to provide readers with strategies to accelerate their career growth and overcome obstacles along the way.