Analysis
Women in the boardroom
A global perspective
Recent legislative efforts and other initiatives have helped bring women’s representation in the boardroom to an all-time high. Despite this, nearly 90 percent of the world’s board seats still belong to men. This third edition of the Deloitte Global Center for Corporate Governance’s publication, Women in the boardroom: A global perspective highlights those initiatives, spanning 25 countries and six continents, aimed at balancing the scales in favor of a more diverse and inclusive boardroom.
Organizations would benefit from increased participation from shareholders on gender diversity discussions in the boardroom.
“It is encouraging that diversity - and more specifically, gender diversity - is frequently being discussed in the business community. However, we still see relatively few shareholder proposals and direct shareholder discussions about gender diversity in the boardroom beyond a small number of activist holders. This is clearly leading to too many one-sided discussions and may cause companies to conclude that their owners just do not see gender diversity as a priority. The debate around the increased role women should play in boardrooms will be strengthened if everyone participates: managements, boards of directors, business associations, policy makers, governments, and the shareholder community.”
- Dan Konigsburg, Managing Director, DTTL Global Center for Corporate Governance There is some text
The study examines initiatives in 25 countries aimed at increasing the number of women in boardroom positions around the world. The research highlights a variety of approaches to support diversity on boards, including requiring more disclosure on diversity policies, setting targets, and implementing quotas. The report found a large discrepancy among countries regarding the most efficient way to increase the number of women occupying boardroom positions.
Countries profiled
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brazil, Canada, United States, Israel, South Africa.
Women in the boardroom: A global perspective
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