This summary is provided by the IPR Center for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion based on the original study by the Diligent Institute
Diligent Institute investigated female board leadership and the experiences of these women on a board.
Data from the Human Resources Governance Leaders (HRGL) was reviewed for 5,482 public companies from Dec. 31, 2021 — Jan. 31, 2022.
Key findings include:
- Women occupy 26% of board seats globally.
- Average female representation in boardrooms in continental Europe still lags behind the quota (33%) proposed by the European Commission.
- Boards may be tapping the same small group of women for board seats.
- 52% of women hold more than one listed board position, compared to only 36% of men.
- Women’s overall participation in committees has improved by 3 percentage points, from 27% to 30% since 2021.
- Female directors bring diverse skill sets to the table.
- For example, female directors are twice as likely to have sustainability experience compared to their male counterparts.
- Female directors are likely to be more independent.
- The average independence level among female directors is 84%, compared to 59% of male directors.
