A working woman professional does not consider a high pay scale to be the only factor in deciding whether to stay with an organisation. Instead, she looks for a myriad of reasons, including a safe and inclusive workplace, opportunities to grow, mental health support, and a healthy work-life balance, according to a report by Forbes. The report, which surveyed around 7,500 women across workplaces in 15 countries, found that these were the most imperative factors in predicting how long a woman would choose to remain with an employer.
To identify companies that are creating workplaces where women can grow and thrive, Forbes has released its World’s Top Companies For Women 2026 ranking.
, an Indian multinational technology company, has secured a spot among the top 50 companies for women. Microsoft retained the top spot, followed by Apple and Manulife. Here’s the list of the top 10.
HCLTech, which is headquartered in Noida and operates in nearly 60 countries, has been ranked 40th.
The survey, conducted by Forbes in partnership with market research firm Statista, found that around 43% of women leave their jobs due to a lack of career advancement opportunities.
This was followed by the possibility of earning more money by doing the same job at another company, cited by 42% of women. A lack of flexibility around working hours and difficulty balancing work and home life were each cited by 33% of respondents.
Which companies qualified?
Companies needed to have a significant international presence to be considered for the ranking. For example, they had to operate in at least two of six continental regions: Africa, Asia, , Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania, according to the report.
The corporate group also had to be headquartered, or have major operations, in a country where at least 70% of the gender gap had been closed, according to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report.
The report measures gender parity across four areas: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.
How Forbes scored the companies
Women taking part in the survey were asked how likely they were to recommend their employer to friends or family. They also rated their organisations on workplace factors such as salary and working conditions, as well as gender-related issues.
These included pay equity, how management responds to discrimination concerns, whether men and women have equal opportunities for career advancement, and parental leave.
Respondents were also asked to assess other companies in their industry as employers. These responses were combined to create an “employer brand score”, which accounted for 50% of a company’s overall score.