Women make small gains in leadership of private German banks

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Women made up 35.2% of leadership positions at private banks in Germany in 2021, figures from the bank employment lobby AGV Banken showed on this week, as the country makes stuttering progress on increasing female representation at the top of the financial sector.

That is up from less than 10% at the start of the 1990s, and 34.8% in 2020. Growth has tapered in recent years.

Recognising that more needs to be done to promote gender balance, German banks say they are taking steps to adjust equality even as staff cuts and major overhauls complicate matters.

It is an issue that goes beyond Germany. A Reuters analysis of the 25 biggest European banks earlier this year showed nearly all CEO and chair changes over a two-year period went to men.

(Reporting by Tom SimsEditing by Madeline Chambers)