Facebook COO: ‘Men still run the world – and it’s not going that well’

Where are all the women leaders? According to the latest data from UN Women, only 22% of all national parliamentarians are female. Only 11 women serve as head of state, and 10 serve as head of government.

Away from the political world, the numbers are just as bad – or even worse. Although women account for almost half of the college-educated workforce in the US, they hold only 19% of board seats, and are only 4.6% of CEOs.

Sheryl Sandberg – Facebook’s COO and a rare example of a woman leader in the male-dominated world of technology – thinks it’s time that changed. “Men still run the world – and I’m not sure it’s going that well,” she told participants at a session on the future of work in Davos. And until we rectify that, everyone will suffer: “It means we’re not using the full talent of the population.”

The full session will be available to watch on demand from 21 January.

The Annual Meeting is taking place in Davos from 20 to 23 January, under the theme “Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution”.