Greater female presence in family-run firms
Women are gaining ground in leadership roles within Catalan family businesses, where their presence in management is consistently higher than in non-family companies, according to a study by the Catalan Association of Family Business (ASCEF) and five Catalan university chairs. Family businesses in Catalonia are "clearly more inclusive of women," the research finds, with female representation in management rising across generations. At founding, 21.5% of management roles in family firms are held by women, compared to 12.7% in other companies. By the second generation, this rises to 27.1% in family firms, versus 21.3% elsewhere.
Why family ties help
The study attributes the trend to family ties easing access to leadership, bypassing traditional labour market barriers. Daughters, sisters and other female relatives often have deep knowledge of the business and shared values, fostering trust between ownership and management. Pilar Marquès of the University of Girona and Fernando Álvarez of Abat Oliba CEU University, who coordinated the research, note that family firms prioritise long-term vision, loyalty and legacy, values that support women’s advancement, even in male-dominated sectors.
The incorporation of women related to the family acts as a driver for more hiring of women, because the female contribution is demonstrated.
Women often enter through roles in administration, human resources or communications, later moving into executive functions. Their presence also encourages further female hiring, as female leaders tend to support other women joining management.
Sector-by-sector progress
The gap is widest in education, healthcare and real estate. Half of family businesses in education have over 33% female managers, compared to lower rates in non-family firms. In healthcare and real estate, 48% and 45% respectively meet this threshold. When the benchmark is 50% female management, family firms still lead: 44% in education, 42% in healthcare and 36% in real estate, versus 23%, 23% and 17% in non-family firms. Construction and information and communications sectors lag behind in female representation.
Despite progress, barriers remain. Gender stereotypes, unconscious bias and limited mentorship still affect women’s authority within the family and among employees. Rosa Tous, ASCEF president and vice-president of the Tous jewellery firm, exemplifies the growing role of women in multi-generational leadership. The study stresses that while inclusion is improving, full equality requires deliberate action in both family dynamics and business governance.
Reported by en.ara.cat, es.ara.cat, ascef.com, usuari_ascef_admin, Diari ARA.
