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Almost one in ten businesses across the world does not employ any women in a senior management role, a new survey has found.

Released to mark international women's day, the survey by Grant Thornton found that 38 per cent of companies worldwide do not do so, a figure which has not changed since 2004, when a similar study was completed.

According to the research Japan is the worst country at ensuring that there is a good balance of women in top executive posts, with just 25 per cent of Japanese firms employing a female in one of their senior management positions.

However, the survey also found that businesses across the rest of Asia outperform their counterparts in Europe when it comes to addressing the gender gap in board rooms, with emerging economies such as China leading the way.

Some 91 per cent of Chinese businesses reported that they employed at least one female in a senior management role, while the Philippines topped the poll with 97 per cent of its firms doing so.

More than 80 per cent of firms in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Thailand also reported employing at least one woman in a top level role.

The study, which questioned about 7,000 businesses across 32 countries, found that across Europe the figure tended to be lower, with just 64 per cent of UK companies doing so.

Meanwhile, businesses in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and Italy caused their countries to take four out of the bottom five places in the poll, with between 27 and 42 per cent of firms in the European nations employing women in senior positions.

Commenting, Grant Thornton International director, April Mackenzie, said: "It is disappointing that the participation of women in senior business management has not increased more dramatically over the last three years.

"It is however encouraging to see some of the Asian economies leading the way," she added.