PMI study reveals project management gender divide across all major industries

Collaboration between Project Management Institute and Women of Project Management to boost inclusion in the project profession

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new Project Management Institute (PMI) report – The State of Women in Project Management 2023 - reveals a stark gender divide in the project management industry, with male project managers outnumbering female project managers at a rate of 3:1. However, 23% of men versus 20% of women report some level of management role, highlighting a much narrower gap when it comes to project management leadership opportunities. To elevate the project management career, PMI is collaborating with Women of Project Management (WOPM), the dedicated global community for women in the project profession, to further amplify the voices of women in project management across its global community and enable more female project managers to enter or progress in the profession.

The mission of Women of Project Management is to increase the representation of women and women of color in the project profession by supporting their members at every stage of their career journey. Their dedicated team provides hands-on, practical support to boost the individual’s career, including: exploring the vast world of project management, how to increase visibility, expanding your network, receiving mentorship, or getting industry certified.

The strategic DE&I collaboration between PMI and WOPM will provide female project professionals with access to community, education and training opportunities, events and networking opportunities.

“PMI has over 300 chapters across the world committed to being a diverse, inclusive and equitable community,” said Brantlee Underhill, Chief Community Officer at PMI. “Our latest research shows that project management offers women genuine career progression opportunities, so we need to work together to encourage more women into the profession. By teaming up with Women of Project Management, together we will raise awareness of the importance of gender inclusion – which will only enhance our profession - and empower our community to create change, regardless of industry.”

In fact, PMI’s The State of Women in Project Management snapshot also reveals that the gender disparity for project professionals exists across all major industries:

Industry	Male	Female
Information Technology	78%	20%
Financial Services	69%	29%
Construction	86%	13%
Consulting	75%	24%
Manufacturing	81%	17%
Energy	83%	17%
Telecom	77%	22%
Government	72%	26%
Healthcare	59%	41%
Automotive	81%	18%
Training / Education	62%	37%
Aerospace	82%	17%
Transportation / Logistics / Distribution	83%	16%

"Many women simply don't have the resources or community they need to reach the opportunities they're deserving of. Their needs and voices aren't being heard or sometimes they have no idea where they should even start,” said Asya Watkins, CEO and Founder of Women of Project Management. “At WOPM we have built an entire support community dedicated to educating, enhancing, and empowering women and women of color. Inclusion is a social challenge that needs to be prioritized across all industries; it's great to know that PMI is investing support and continuing to drive awareness to this mission."

View the full report The State of Women in Project Management 2023.

About Women of Project Management

Women of Project Management® is a professional organization committed to promoting equal representation for women and women of color in the field of project management, through a supportive membership community and tailored resources including, mentoring, certifications, health & wellness, workshops, networking, and career opportunities that engage members during every stage of their career journey.

WOPM educates, enhances, and empowers those with an interest in the project management industry, by providing a platform and community designed to develop dynamic change makers and ensure women of color and other diverse backgrounds are celebrated for their contributions and distinctiveness.

Fostering a culture of inclusion and amplifying the voices of women in the industry worldwide continues to be the driving force behind Founder and CEO, Asya Watkins’ vision for Women of Project Management®. In 2015, Asya brought her vision to life through the lens of highly qualified women who were deserving of a seat at the table. Powered by the core values of integrity, intention, and impact, Women of Project Management® has positively routed the lives of 1,000s of members and the DE&I goals of many Fortune 500 and corporate organizations throughout the years.

For more information on Women of Project Management, please visit our website and social media at www.womenofpm.com, Instagram.com/womenofpm, LinkedIn.com/company/womenofpm.

About Project Management Institute

Project Management Institute (PMI) is the leading professional organization for project management, and the authority for a growing global community of millions of project professionals and individuals who use project management skills. Collectively, these professionals and "changemakers" consistently create better outcomes for businesses, community and society worldwide.

PMI empowers people to make ideas a reality. Through global advocacy, networking, collaboration, research, and education, PMI prepares organizations and individuals at every stage of their career journey to work smarter so they can drive success in a world of change.

Building on a proud legacy dating to 1969, PMI is a not-for-profit, for-purpose organization working in nearly every country around the world to advance careers, strengthen organizational success, and enable project professionals and changemakers with new skills and ways of working to maximize their impact. PMI offerings include globally recognized standards, certifications, online courses, thought leadership, tools, digital publications, and communities.

Visit us at www.PMI.org, https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectmanagementinstitute, https://www.facebook.com/PMInstitute, and on Twitter @PMInstitute.