Australia: Company boards reach 30% women target without quotas

cde.news desk 31 January 2019, 06:21 · 1 min read

epa07209273 An electronic indicator board is displayed at the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) in Sydney, Australia, 05 December 2018. Dow Jones lost 799 points after investors had doubts over the US-China trade truce. EPA-EFE/BRENDAN ESPOSITO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

For months Australian politics has been engulfed by allegations of a culture of sexism, which prompted at least one female MP to resign. But on Wednesday there was better news on diversity in business, with almost one in three company directors now female, although critics said their influence might be limited.

Figures published by the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) show 29.7 per cent of directors of companies listed on Australia’s Securities Exchange top 200 were women, up from 19.4 per cent in 2015. The country, which is regularly lampooned for its blokey culture, has leapfrogged the UK, Canada and the US in terms of female representation in the boardroom and has ambitions to go higher.

“Australia has heard the message about the value of gender diversity in boardrooms,” said Angus Armour, AICD managing director.

Via FT

Topics Australia Gender Equality