Women are still not considered to be business leaders in the same way as men, according to Caroline Plumb (pictured), co-founder of research and analysis company FreshMinds.

For the past three years, Oxbridge respondents in the company’s annual ‘Ones to Watch’ campaign have failed to nominate many female candidates as contenders for future high-fliers.

Last year only 25% of nominees were female, the research revealed. This was the same figure in 2002 and was just 22% a year earlier.

Both men and women are more likely to nominate men, Plumb said.

“It would appear that there is a crisis going on among our female students. While they often have the edge academically they are not seeing themselves, or being seen, as tomorrow’s business leaders.”

Women are still massively under-represented in positions of influence in Britain, according to the Equal Opportunities Commission. Women make up only 9% of top business leaders and 7% of senior roles within the police and judiciary system, it claimed.