Figures show increase in the amount of women on FTSE 100 boards

Statistics from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have shown an increase in the number of women in senior positions in the UK’s largest companies. 

The data, which coincides with International Women’s Day, showed that women now make up nearly 29% of FTSE 100 board positions, an improvement on 2011’s figure of 12.5%.

Rise

There has also been a rise in the number of women in senior roles in FTSE 350 companies, with the number of women chairs increasing from 17 to 20 and the number of women on boards rising by 25.2%.

If this progress keeps pace with the increases seen over the past three years, then women will make up a third of board positions by 2020, hitting the target set by the government-commissioned Hampton-Alexander Review.

Despite the increase in women in senior roles, research from Grant Thornton International showed that more still needs to be done to make progress with gender balance. The accountancy firm’s annual Women in Business report found that 75% of businesses now have at least one woman in their senior management team, up from 66% last year. However, the proportion of women team members has dropped from 25 to 24%.

Progress

Business Minister Andrew Griffiths commented: “International Women’s Day is about celebrating women’s achievements and I am delighted to see that a record number of our largest companies’ board positions are now filled by women.

Griffiths concluded by reiterating that while there has been progress in recent years, much more needs to be done to break down barriers for women in the workplace.