New research from Women of Influence+ highlights a significant gap between understanding the value of sponsorship and actually receiving it — a disconnect that continues to shape who advances at work and how.

Eighty-five per cent of women surveyed say they understand what sponsorship is, but only 45 per cent report having had a sponsor. The data suggests that while awareness is high, access remains limited — often influenced by informal networks, proximity to leadership, and subjective perceptions of potential.

The report, Closing the Sponsorship Gap: How Purposeful Advocacy Accelerates Women’s Careers, draws on insights from more than 400 professionals across North America. It explores how sponsorship — distinct from mentorship — remains one of the most effective yet inconsistently applied tools for career growth.

“The belief that talent rises on merit alone oversimplifies how advancement works,” says Maricel Dicion, Managing Director, Women of Influence+. “Sponsorship plays a defining role in who gets seen, supported, and promoted. If companies continue to treat it as informal or optional, they risk reinforcing the very barriers they aim to dismantle.”

Read our media release here.