Four in 10 businesses worldwide have no women in senior management positions while the number of Indian women in senior positions has risen to 14 per cent.

A new Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR), shows a rising incidence of women in senior positions in Asian countries even as their number dwindiles in North American and European businesses.

Released yesterday to coincide with International Women's Day, the report reveals that 38 per cent of businesses do not have any women in senior management roles, a figure which has remained unchanged since 2004.

The survey covers the opinions of 7,200 privately held businesses in 32 countries that account for 81 per cent of global GDP.

Philippines came on top of the list with 97 per cent of businesses in the Philippines have women in senior management positions, in contrast to Japan, which had the lowest with only 25 per cent.
 
Four out of the five countries with the lowest figures are in Europe - the Netherlands with 27 per cent, Luxembourg 37 per cent, Germany 41 per cent and Italy 42 per cent.

In total, over half of all European businesses surveyed, 52 per cent have women participating in senior management, while in NAFTA countries 68 per cent of businesses have women in senior roles. Compared with three years ago European businesses have 4 per cent more women in senior management, whereas NAFTA countries have 6 per cent more.

Since 2004 the global figure for businesses with 'no women' in senior management positions has remained unchanged at 38 per cent. Countries with businesses reporting a fall in businesses with senior women managers, include Mexico with a decline of 24 per cent, Russia 15 per cent, Poland 9 per cent, Italy 6 per cent, New Zealand 6 per cent and the US 6 per cent.

Countries which report increased participation of women in senior levels are: Spain at 16 per cent, India 14 per cent, Taiwan and the Philippines 13 per cent and Hong Kong and Sweden both 9 per cent.

''It is disappointing that the participation of women in senior business management has not increased more dramatically over the last three years,'' says April Mackenzie executive director of public policy for Grant Thornton International. "It is however encouraging to see some of the Asian economies leading the way."

Mackenzie also noted that North American and European businesses in particular continue to disappoint. She said, "Hopefully we will see this change in coming years as more women play increasingly prominent roles in business and public life such as Indra Nooyi, the new chief executive officer of PepsiCo, Angela Merkel, German chancellor, Margaret Whitman, chief executive and president of eBay and Anne Lauvergeon, chief executive of France's state-owned nuclear group Areva,'' she added.