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Women Breaking Glass Ceiling at UK Companies

According to a new report from the British government, 40 percent of board seats at the country’s top 350 companies are now filled by women for the first time ever.


Female executive reviewing Board papers

In February 2021, OGN reported that the number of female FTSE 100 directors had doubled in five years - with one in three boardroom roles at the UK’s top 350 companies.


That was considerable progress over a decade ago, when more than 150 of the top 350 companies had no women board members at all. Now, all have at least one woman sitting on their board.


The stellar progress follows an explicit goal set by the business-led FTSE Women Leaders Review to reach 40 percent representation by 2025. Through a concerted effort from the business community, backing from public regulators, and significant shareholder pressure, the goal was met three years ahead of schedule. The achievement is perhaps particularly impressive given that compliance was entirely voluntary, unlike certain other countries which have begun implementing mandatory quota systems.


The milestone is not only a moral victory, but likely a major boon to the economy and workplaces across the country. The research is increasingly clear: as female representation on corporate boards improves, so does engagement, cohesion, and ultimately company performance.


As to performance, according to the Women Count 2020 report by gender diversity business The Pipeline, there is a stark difference in net profit margins of companies that have diverse gender leaderships compared to those who do not. The Pipeline says London-listed companies with no women on their executive committees had a net profit of 1.5%, whereas those with more than one in three women at that level reach 15.2% net profit margin.

 
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