Men 'still dominate the boardroom'

Thu Nov 19 2009 05:36:07

A new report has shown that the number of company directorships held by women has remained the same over the past year, leaving boardrooms male-dominated.

A study by the Cranfield School of Management showed that just 12 per cent of directors in FTSE 100 firms were female.

There are currently 113 women holding 131 FTSE 100 directorships, compared with 834 men holding 947 posts.

The research revealed a "discouraging" picture for women, showing the number of companies with female executive directors down to 15 from 16 last year. There was also a decline in the number of companies with women on their boards, with one in four being exclusively male.

One of the few positive findings from the report was a considerable increase in the number of women at executive committee level.

The report's co-author, Dr Ruth Sealy, said: "It would appear that, instead of becoming a time for change, the economic climate of the last year has left the top companies more male-dominated. As recent research increasingly suggests, it is only when a critical mass of women in the boardroom is attained - with three or more female board members - that real culture change can occur."

Minister for Equality and Women Harriet Harman said: "This report shows that we are moving in the right direction and there is still much more that needs to be done.

"Businesses that run on the basis of an old boy network and do not draw on the talents of all the population will not be the ones that flourish and prosper in the 21st century."

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