As of mid-2025, women lead 55 Fortune 500 companies (11% of total) and 93 Fortune 1000 companies (9.3%), marking record highs but still low representation. While overall, women in top management stalled near 10%, women now lead roughly 32.8% of US universities.
According to the S&P 500: Women hold 47 CEO positions in the S&P 500 (9.4%), a rise from 7.8% in 2024 Women Business Collaborative.
- Private Companies: 266 women lead private companies with revenue exceeding $1 billion, showing steady growth according to the Women Business Collaborative.
- Non-profits/Other: There are over 1,000 women’s rights advocacy groups in the U.S.
- Education: Women represent 32.8% of U.S. college and university presidents as of 2022
- Only 27.2% of national parliamentarians are women UN Women.
- Historically, fewer than 30 women have founded and led a company to an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange
Duke University lists 39 Professional Women’s Organizations and Associations that are industry specific organizations with a focus on technology and design with more opportunities growing on the horizon as well as a focus on STEM in grade school and high school, prompting more learning.
The share of women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies reached an all-time high of 10.6% in 2023, with 53 women heading major firms.
At the start of the 118th Congress in 2023, there were 25 women serving in the U.S. Senate, just shy of the record 26 women senators sworn in on the first day of the previous Congress. (The count for the previous Congress includes Vice President Kamala Harris and former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler. Both were sworn in on the first day and left the Senate shortly after.) More data revealed.
Of the 25 women senators:
- 16 are Democrats and nine are Republicans.
- 22 are White, two are Asian American and one is Hispanic. No Black women currently serve in the Senate, nor do any American Indian or Alaska Native women.
Women in History…Did you know…
Who was Mary Katharine Goddard?
Mary Katharine Goddard was an early American publisher, and the postmaster of the Baltimore Post Office from 1775 to 1789. She was the older sister of William Goddard, also a publisher and printer. She was the second printer to print the Declaration of Independence.
In January 1777, she printed the first version to include the names of the signers. This was commissioned by Congress while they were meeting in Baltimore, and she is the only woman whose name appears on an official printing of the document.
| Mary Katharine Goddard | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 16, 1738 Connecticut |
| Died | August 12, 1816 (aged 78) |
| Occupations | Postmaster, publisher, book seller |
| Known for | First to print the United States Declaration of Independence with the names of the signatories. |
| Notable work | The Goddard Broadside |
| Parents | Dr. Giles GoddardSarah Updike Goddard |
| Relatives | William Goddard (brother |
Goddard was a successful postmaster for 14 years, from 1775 to 1789. In 1789, however, she was fired by Postmaster General Samuel Osgood despite general protest from the Baltimore community. Osgood claimed that the position required “more traveling … than a woman could undertake” and appointed a political ally of his to replace her.[10] On November 12, 1789, over 230 citizens of Baltimore, including more than 200 leading businessmen, presented a petition demanding her reinstatement, which was unsuccessful.[11]https://www.womenofthehall.org/
Honoring the Past. Inspiring the Future.
The National Women’s Hall of Fame is the nation’s first and foremost nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of remarkable American women. We seek to engage every generation in celebrating the achievements of women who change the world.
Founded in 1969 in Seneca Falls, New York, the birthplace of the American women’s rights movement, the Hall elevates women’s voices, equips and empowers changemakers, and advances gender equity through action, education, and storytelling.
The National Women’s Hall of Fame has grown to include more than 300 extraordinary women including scientists, artists, educators, activists, athletes, business leaders, and others whose impact continues to shape our world.
Learn more about many influential women in the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Discover the Women of the Hall
