Over the past decade, significant steps have been taken to advance the rights and opportunities available to women in the workplace, yet a recent Women In Work index from PwC places the UK 18th in its assessment of the progress made towards achieving gender equality across 33 OECD countries. With much room for improvement, this year’s International Women’s Day hopes to #AccelerateAction through drawing attention to the barriers impeding the advancement of women, while simultaneously calling for an acceleration of the resources and activities that alleviate them.

Shining a spotlight on a number of issues, we’re catching up with UCL School of Management Professor and UCL MBA Programme Director Harveen Chugh. Harveen takes us through her career experiences that led her to the School, and shares her concerns over the pay disparities that linger in a number of industries. More specifically, she notes the additional obstacles - and the many forms that these obstacles may take - facing women in the workplace.

Additionally, as Programme Director of the UCL MBA, Harveen proudly notes the almost even split of men and women on the programme, as well as the irrefutable ways that an MBA can support women in reaching those senior leadership roles. 

can you tell us about your career journey so far?

My career journey has been academic, complemented by consulting and startup experience. I started with my PhD in Entrepreneurship and then progressed from Lecturer right through to Professor.  Along the way, I set up my own business and worked on a global entrepreneurs’ programme, where I gained invaluable experience working with startups, accelerators and investors. I joined UCL School of Management in January 2024, where I was appointed as Professor of Entrepreneurship and became Director of the UCL MBA in September 2024. The last few months have been busy, but exciting.

what do you feel are the most pressing issues facing women in the workplace right now?

I would love to reach a time when the answer to this question is none. But unfortunately, there are many that I can speak about both factually and anecdotally.

The Women in the Workplace 2024 report, a must read for everyone, highlights many. Some that particularly strike a chord with me: first, the gender pay gap continues. Organisations are more transparent about pay which is a small step forward, but the issue itself is still yet to be addressed across many industries. It is hard to know if you are personally above or below the pay average.

Second, the ‘broken rung’ in leadership persists and women’s advancement and progression to management is often impeded. Without clear feedback, it would be hard to know why an opportunity was not granted and if any discrimination had occurred - a question I have faced myself in the past. Third, women of colour face greater barriers – more microaggressions, fewer promotions and less sponsorship than white women in the workplace. Imagine you are one interaction in a woman’s work week and have exhibited a microaggression. Now imagine four other individuals do the same. All these individuals would carry on with their week, while leaving that woman with burden of having to deal with a series of microaggressions.

All of these issues seem to leave women in a ‘grey area of wondering,’ which is not a great place to be. Further, these are all reasons why women need support and allies at all levels in the workplace. It is incumbent on women and all of their colleagues, both men and women, to help create this support for them on a daily basis.

Speaking with friends and colleagues in the last couple of years, there are also many hidden issues that fly under the radar of reports such as women’s health – fertility and reproduction, endometriosis, peri-menopause and menopause. I have personally observed an increase in conversations and social media posts about women’s health, which is a positive step forward to encourage more openness and sharing about these issues.

can you tell us about the gender split on the ucl mba?

I am very proud to share that the gender spilt on the UCL MBA is 47 per cent female and 53 per cent male. At 47 per cent female, we are 5 per cent above the global average of 42 per cent of females on MBAs. I am also pleased to be among the 40 per cent of female MBA Directors (AMBA Survey, 2025). 

how do you think mbas present an opportunity for women to advance in the workplace?

MBAs present a fantastic opportunity for women to advance in the workplace. First, a good MBA programme should have a gender balance on their programme, at least the global average of 42 per cent women, or exceeding this to 50 per cent ideally, which is more reflective of the actual global population. Second, scholarships for women provided by an MBA programme can be an important external signal to provide recognition and boost confidence. The UCL MBA for example offers the Women in Senior Leadership scholarship. 

Third, they should provide bespoke services such as Careers Consulting and Executive Coaching that support women with workplace issues such as career advancement, leadership development, job negotiations or salary discussions. Fourth, networking opportunities specifically designed for women can be helpful. A recent Financial Times article showed that women particularly value virtual networking that provides flexibility, small forums and in-depth conversations. Last but not least, role models through MBA Alumni, Faculty, invited industry speakers and coaches are important through their interactions on the programme to help provide career inspiration and build advocacy. 

In the spirit of the IWD 2025 theme #AccelerateAction, I hope I have encouraged anyone reading this to think about what they will do differently to support women in the workplace.