The latest census of women in senior positions in management and on corporate boards by the Equal Oppportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) makes for depressing reading. According to the report, women hold only 8.7 per cent of board seats in Australia’s largest 200 companies, and only 12 per cent of executive manager positions, ie “direct reports” to the Chief Executive of those companies.
The director of the Agency, Anna McPhee says: “Incremental advancement is slow – glacial even…” There has been NO increase in the percentage of organisations that have at least one female board member, and there is only a small increase in the number of women on boards.
Almost half of Australia’s largest companies do not have a single woman director.
Compared with other developed countries, Australia’s record is abysmal.
And it’s not just in the corporate sector. We have an embarassing record generally when it comes to women in leadership positions.
The Forbes annual list of the world’s 100 most powerful women did not include a single Australian. Two New Zealanders made the cut – Prime Minister Helen Clark and Therese Gattung, chief of Telecom New Zealand – but not a single sheila.
Not a good look, girls. We are going to have to get stroppy!
http://clare272.blogspot.com/
While it’s true that glaciers generally move forward, even if at a slow pace, most glaciers are now in retreat. Glacial progress could take on an entirely new meaning!
“Glacial progress could take on an entirely new meaning!”
Melanie´s above comment is at best tasteless, at worst utterly certifiable. She compares the degree of femocracy in Aust. with the no. 1 problem of our times: the slow burn on the planet. So just watch that 300mm Goyder rainfall line coming to a suburb near you, Melanie, assuming you are among the 64% of Aust. living in a capital city.
Note to Summers: whether Hilary or the curiously under-criticised Condoleeza (a black and a female, enough said) become President is thus immaterial
Anne’s post made me wonder how Norway was going with its legislated demand that companies achieve a 40% female board membership by 2008.
When the legislation was introduced in 2003 the % of women on boards in Norway was 7.3; now it is 21.4%.
As Minister of Children and Equality Karita Bekkemellem said yesterday, “Do you believe that we would have achieved this by voluntarily measures?”
Ricky thanks for this information. I was unaware of the Norwegian legislation but I will follow up and use it where I can. anne
Mirabeau. I’m certifiable, no doubt about it. That’s because I’m female and I’ve lived a very long time under an androcracy. It’s more than enough to make you certifiable.
Btw, at school in Adelaide I was taught that the Goyder line was 10″ – that’s 250 mm.
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