Ten years after launching the Women in the Workplace study, the latest 2024 report from LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company shows that progress on gender equality in corporate America is slowing.

While women have made gains in leadership, the overall picture is mixed, with companies scaling back their diversity efforts just as they should be pushing forward.

The report finds that women now hold 29% of C-suite roles, up from 17% in 2015, but this progress is fragile. Much of the increase is due to a reduction in male-dominated line roles, and the representation of women of color needs to be higher, with only 7% of C-suite positions.

A significant issue continues to be the “broken rung”—the first step up to management. For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 81 women are promoted, and Black women face an even steeper drop. This broken rung makes it difficult for women to advance to higher leadership levels.

Alarmingly, the report reveals that corporate commitment to diversity is declining. Fewer companies are maintaining programs to recruit and develop women of color, and the number of companies tracking diversity outcomes has dropped significantly since 2022.

On top of this, women continue to experience microaggressions and bias in the workplace.

LGBTQ+ women and women with disabilities report frequent demeaning interactions that undermine their leadership, and women of color face compounded challenges due to the intersection of gender and racial bias.

Despite progress on flexibility and remote work policies, which have helped many women balance their responsibilities, some companies are beginning to scale back on these benefits. A third of employees report a reduction in flexibility in 2024, a move that could disproportionately affect working mothers.

The report also highlights a generational divide: younger women are highly ambitious, with 85% seeking promotions, but they are less optimistic about their future in the workplace. Many believe their gender will limit their opportunities, in stark contrast to the views of older men who think women’s chances have improved.

Sexual harassment remains a significant problem, with 40% of women reporting some form of harassment during their careers.

Younger women are just as likely as older women to experience it, and confidence in how companies handle harassment claims remains low, especially among women.

A notable gap exists between men’s and women’s views on workplace progress.

Nine in ten senior men believe women’s opportunities have improved, but few report seeing the microaggressions that women experience regularly. This disconnect suggests that men in leadership may need to understand the barriers women face fully.

The report calls on companies to stay committed to diversity and inclusion, urging them to strengthen efforts to de-bias hiring, provide better career development for women of color, and hold managers accountable for fostering equitable workplaces.