The Key to Gender Equality in International Careers

Why are there still so few women in global leadership positions?

According to a recent PwC Workforce Mobility Survey, women make up only 20% of international assignees, despite representing nearly 50% of the workforce.

One key reason is often overlooked: international experience. For many companies, a successful international assignment is a stepping stone toward executive roles. Yet fewer women are getting these opportunities—not because they’re less capable, but because the system isn’t built for them.

Achieving gender equality in international careers means understanding the real challenges women face when considering mobility. And one of the biggest? The question of whether their partner can follow and thrive too.

The Mobility Gap: Not Just a Career Choice, a Life Decision

When a man is offered an assignment abroad, he often assumes his partner will manage the move. Women, however, are more likely to ask:
Can my partner work there? Will he be fulfilled? Will we both thrive?

This leads many talented women to decline international assignments—not due to lack of ambition, but because the dual career reality makes the decision harder.

And without that global experience, women are at a disadvantage when it’s time for leadership selection.

This is how the mobility gap becomes a leadership gap.

Supporting Expat Partners: A Strategic Investment in gender equality in international careers

True gender equality in international careers starts by supporting the entire family—not just the employee.

That’s why supporting expat partners is a game changer.

At Absolutely French, we’ve seen this firsthand. Since 2015, we’ve welcomed over 1,200 expat partners to Paris. In 2024, 27% of those we supported were men. And the results are clear: when partners feel prepared, connected, and included, the whole family thrives—and the employee stays and succeeds.

To go even further, we created the Absolutely Ahead – AI Mobility Academy, a global online program that helps partners plan their move, develop their own project (career or personal), and take ownership of the transition—before and after arrival.

By offering this kind of support early on, companies remove a major obstacle to women in global leadership.

The Link Between Mobility and Leadership

International experience gives employees exposure to different markets, leadership challenges, and cultural agility—skills essential at the executive level.

But if women are less able to accept these assignments, how can we expect them to reach the top?

Supporting partners is no longer a “nice to have”. It’s the missing piece in the gender equity puzzle.

And it’s time for companies to connect the dots.

Real People, Real Impact

Let’s talk about Maya, a tech project lead from Canada. She was offered a leadership position in Germany, but her husband’s freelance career seemed incompatible with the move. With the right tools, guidance, and partner support, they both transitioned—and today, Maya manages a team across five countries.

Or take Daniel, a Brazilian architect who followed his wife to Paris. He joined a French language program, rebuilt his network, and now teaches design at an international school. His success empowered her to stay, grow, and eventually earn a regional promotion.

These stories are not exceptions—they are possibilities, when the right support exists.

Building the Future of Inclusive Leadership

If companies want more women in leadership, they need to think earlier in the pipeline. International assignments are where ambition meets opportunity—but also where many women drop off due to logistical and emotional barriers.

Investing in supporting expat partners is the lever companies can pull now to create long-term, structural change.

Because women in global leadership aren’t just missing from the boardroom. They’re often stopped long before—at the airport, passport in hand, wondering if their partner will be okay.

Let’s change that.

Let’s make international mobility an inclusive opportunity, one that reflects the diversity and equity we want to see at the top.

Absolutely French – Who We Are – Companies Services

Absolutely French is the first French language school entirely dedicated to expat partners and expatriates.

Our mission:
To support dual careers in expat families by helping partners integrate quickly and confidently into French life.

Our method:
Fun, friendly, and innovative French courses that guarantee results — and help build a local network.

✅ Looking for French classes tailored for expat partners?
✅ Want to register your employee’s spouse for a high-quality program?

Let’s connect!

📧 Email: contact@absolutely-french.eu
📞 Phone: +33 (0)1 83 73 98 49
📍 Address: 4, rue Faraday, 75017 Paris