The number of women being appointed to ASX 200 boards has increased significantly, lifting significantly the proportion of female board members in Australia’s top listed companies, new figures released by the Australian Institute of Company Directors show.
They show that so far in 2010, 24 per cent of all ASX 200 board appointees were female, compared to just 5 per cent in 2009 and 8 per cent in 2007 and 2008.
In less than six months this year, 24 women have been appointed to ASX 200 boards, compared to only ten for the whole of 2009.
This has seen the percentage of women on ASX 200 boards increase from 8.3 per cent at the beginning of this year to 9.2 per cent today.
The latest census conducted by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA), for 2008, also showed the proportion of women on ASX 200 boards at 8.3 per cent.
The new figures have been collated by the Australian Institute of Company Directors, based on analysis of Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) data and are updated daily.
They represent “real time” up-to-date data for the number and proportion of women on ASX 200 boards.
“This increase in the number of women being appointed to the nation’s top company boards is very heartening,” the Chief Executive of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, John Colvin, said.
“We still have a long way to go, but this is the highest percentage of women on ASX 200 boards that we have seen for some time.”
“We have consistently said that we believe the proportion of women on listed company boards in Australia is not good enough and needs to be increased.”
“Diversity is a competitive advantage bringing real value for businesses and it is very encouraging that more and more boards are taking advantage of the value of diversity.”
“As our figures show, real progress is already being made – there have been 24 appointments of women to ASX 200 boards so far this year, two and half times the number appointed for the whole of 2009 – but more needs to be done.”
The Australia Institute of Company Directors last November announced a wide-ranging initiative to address the issue of board diversity.
This included a new mentoring program, launched in April, involving some of Australia’s most senior company chairmen and directors aimed at helping to increase the numbers of women on ASX 200 boards.
The ASX 200 Chairmen’s Mentoring Program involves 56 chairmen and senior directors of major companies who will work with 63 highly talented and qualified women in a twelve month mentoring relationship, and is the largest program of its kind in the world.
Updated January 2011: Download a list of women appointed to ASX 200 boards in 2010 from this page.
Media Contacts:
Steve Burrell, General Manager Communications and Public Affairs, (02) 8248 6627 or 0407 708 485
Juliet Chandler, Communications Advisor, (02) 8248 6624 or 0412 580 402
The Australian Institute of Company Directors provides education, information and advocacy for company directors Australia wide, with offices in each state to cater for over 26,000 members. Our members work in diverse corporations such as small-to-medium enterprises, the ASX200 corporations, public sector organisations, not-for-profit companies, large private companies and smaller private family concerns.