Women still failing to get top jobs
Thursday, 02 December 2010
A new report has revealed the number of women in high-level positions in sectors such as finance jobs is almost unchanged from a year ago.
The study, by Cranfield School of Management, found there were 135 female executives on the boards of the UK's top 100 companies – a figure of just 12.5 per cent.
With a percentage of 12.2 per cent last year and 12 per cent in 2008, the statistics show very few improvements have been made to gender equality in the boardroom.
Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone said it was "worrying" that women still accounted for just one in eight FTSE 100 board members, although she was pleased to see the number of companies with no female executives had fallen.
"Making boards more diverse is not about political correctness - it's about making sure companies draw senior staff from the widest possible pool of talent", she said.
The closing of the pay gap between the genders is also beginning to slow, according to research from the Fawcett Society published to mark last month's Equal Pay Day, which found there is still a 16.4 per cent difference between the salaries of men and women.
