Survey by US-based firm has said that legacy of communism is responsible for advance of gender equality. Russia once again topped the international ranking of countries with the highest percentage of women in senior business roles, with 45 per cent of senior management positions held by women.

Russia is followed by the Philippines and Lithuania, according to a report published yesterday by US-based accounting firm Grant Thornton. At the bottom of the list is Japan, where only 7 per cent of senior leadership positions are filled by women.

Economic powerhouses Germany and India also continue to lag, with 15 per cent and 16 per cent of senior management positions filled by women. The US finds itself in the bottom third of nations for women in leadership roles.