The report, Sex & Power 2011, measures the number of women in positions of power and influence across 27 occupational categories in the public and private sectors. It found it could be up to 70 years before there are an equal number of women MPs in parliament - another 14 general elections.
The results of this year's report, published yesterday, differ very little from those in the previous report of 2008.
Figures from this year's report reveal while women are graduating from university in increasing numbers and achieve better degree results than men, and despite level pegging with men in their twenties, they are not entering management ranks at the same rate, and many remain trapped in the layer below senior management.
In politics women represent: 22.2% of MPs (up from 19.3% in 2008) and 17.4% of Cabinet members (down from 26.1% in 2008).
In business, women represent 12.5% of directors of FTSE 100 companies (up from 11% in 2008) and 7.8% of directors in FTSE 250 companies (up from 7.2% in 2008).
In the public and voluntary sector, women represent12.9% of senior members of the judiciary (up from 9.6% in 2008), 22.8% of local authority chief executives (up from 19.5% in 2008), 35.5% of head teachers of secondary schools (down from 36.3% in 2008) and 14.3% of university vice chancellors (down from 14.4% in 2008).
The report says the British economy is paying the price for this exclusion. It has been suggested greater diversity on corporate boards would improve business performance and increase levels of corporate social responsibility.
Commissioner Kay Carberry said: "The gender balance at the top has not changed much in three years, despite there being more women graduating from university and occupying middle management roles. We had hoped to see an increase in the number of women in positions of power, however this isn't happening.
"Many women disappear from the paid workforce after they have children, so employers lose their skills. Others become stuck in positions below senior management, leaving many feeling frustrated and unfulfilled. Consequently, the higher ranks of power in many organisations are still dominated by men.
"If Britain is to stage a strong recovery from its current economic situation, then we have to make sure we're not wasting women's skills and talents."
