Women accounted for 29.7 per cent of ASX200 board members by the end of last year, an increase of more than 10 percentage points since the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2015 called for ASX200 companies to achieve 30 per cent female representation on boards by the conclusion of 2018.
According the AICD’s latest gender diversity statistics on ASX 200 companies, the number of ASX200 boards with at least 30 per cent female representation has more than doubled from 40 in 2015, to 96.
In 2015 there were 26 boards which had no women.
AICD’s survey revealed only AMP, ARB Corporation, Emeco Holdings, TPG Telecom have no women on their boards.
By May last year the ASX20, 50 and 100 had reached the 30 per cent target.
AICD managing director Angus Amour said Australia was the first country in the world to achieve 30 per cent gender diversity in top 100 boardrooms without regulatory intervention or quotas.
“There is no doubt that corporate Australia has heard the message about the value of gender diversity in boardrooms,” Mr Amour said.
“In 2018, 45% of all appointments to ASX200 boards were women, which demonstrates that voluntary targets can be effective.
“Even more satisfying is that for almost half of these women it was their first ASX200 appointment, which is proof that boards are looking beyond the existing talent pool.”
He said the 30 per cent figure should not be the ceiling for gender diversity.
