That titbit emerged in a Deloitte report published yesterday on International Women’s Day, which found that the public sector is racing ahead when it comes to giving women the top jobs. This is despite another of the survey’s findings – that companies with women in leadership positions perform better and achieve more economic rewards than those without female representation at the highest level!

So female progress is obviously good for business (accountants take note) but there is also some disparity about how progress is perceived. A survey for PwC found that men are twice as likely as women to believe in equality of progress at work – 44% of men think women in top jobs are not unusual and that men and women are equal but only 23% of women take the same view.

So whichever way you look at it (esp. men), female progress in the private sector does not look as great as some would have us believe. And the recession may be a significant setback:

PwC: The pipeline of female leadership for UK business could be reversed or irreparably damaged by the recession, with almost three quarters of City professionals in a recent survey saying they see redundancy as an opportunity to exit corporate life and make a new start. 60% believe the recession will reinforce the glass ceiling, making it more difficult for women to progress.

If the perception continues to be that women are paid less or are less likely to get to the top then you have a self-fulfilling prophecy. Whatever men think!