Are there barriers to women in the workplace? (leadership positions)

Women are 21 percent less likely than men to be promoted to the first level of management, according the report. And women don't have the same access as men to people in powerful positions that could boost their careers. The report also points to the often-discussed gender wage gap, which starts at the entry level. Massachusetts' equal pay law, which went into effect in June, aims to improve pay equity.

At the mid-career level, women often find themselves sidelined in support roles instead of in positions that are stepping stones to leadership, according to the report. And mid-career women also "disappear" from the career pipeline because family responsibilities fall on them more so than their male counterparts.