In a presentation to the ISWE Conference on Diversity, Economics and Society, European Central Bank Executive Board member Philip R. Lane reviewed the ECB’s progress on gender representation and the remaining barriers to career advancement. Women’s representation has risen in every salary band cluster since 2010 and reached at least 33% in each cluster by August 2026. The largest increase was in senior management, where the share rose 32 percentage points to 41.8%. The ECB is now focusing on the internal talent pipeline leading to team lead and management roles. Lane also revisited research published in 2022 using ECB staff data from 2003 to 2017. The study found that the promotion gap between women and men was no longer statistically significant from 2011, but women remained less likely to apply for promotion, particularly when competing against external candidates, more experienced colleagues or predominantly male applicant pools. Having children and taking unpaid parental leave also reduced the likelihood of applying. ECB measures addressing these barriers include flexible working and leave policies, targeted recruitment outreach, extended campaigns where women represent less than one-third of applicants, and leadership and mentoring programs.
2026-09-04European Central Bank
European Central Bank Executive Board member Philip R Lane reviews gender representation gains and persistent promotion application gap
European Central Bank Executive Board member Philip R. Lane reported that women represented at least 33% of staff in every salary band cluster by August 2026, including 41.8% of senior management. He also reviewed research showing that the gender promotion gap disappeared from 2011, although women remained less likely to apply for promotion. ECB measures focus on working arrangements, targeted recruitment, leadership development and mentoring.