Women Hold 19% of Board Seats in US

Economy

Published: January 13, 2015 6:35 am

Women hold 19.2% of the board seats at S&P 500 companies in the United States. The number is in the middle of the pack among the world’s largest countries, but still well below what many large company female executives and outside analysts probably feel is fair.

According to research firm Catalyst’s 2014 Census conclusions:

North America: Women hold 19.2% of S&P 500 board seats in the United States; and 20.8% of S&P/TSX 60 board seats in Canada.

Europe: Women’s share of board seats ranges from 7.9% in Portugal (PSI-20 index) to 18.5% in Germany (DAX index) to 22.8% in the United Kingdom (FTSE 100 index) to 35.5% in Norway (OBX index).

Asia-Pacific: Women’s share of board seats ranges from 3.1% in Japan (TOPIX Core 30 index) to 9.5% in India (BSE 200 index) to 19.2% in Australia (S&P/ASX 200 index).

The research report gives no reasons for why Japan and Norway are at the two ends of the spectrum, although the composition of boards is mandated in come nations (Norway has a 2003 law that says 40% of board members at the top of public companies must be women). Because that sort of analysis is lacking, the survey has little value in terms of solving the problem.

The primary statement by the research firm’s management:

“We have evidence and optimism that closing the gender gap on corporate boards is possible, yet the current numbers are simply not good enough,” says Deborah Gillis, President & CEO, Catalyst. “Companies that are not making diversity on boards a priority should be embarrassed. Smart leaders know that they can either lead the movement toward making profound and lasting impact, or be left behind. The way of the past is not the way of the future.”

All well and good, but it is a statement of fact and impressions, and not one about how the problem, which is a significant one, can be solved. That is too bad. The issue is so serious that it deserves more effort to explain how it could be corrected.

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