The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) has today revealed that another eight ASX 200 companies have joined the ranks of leading organisations in reaching 30 per cent women on their boards.
The latest gender diversity report, compiled by the AICD, shows the proportion of women on ASX 200 boards has increased two percentage points in the last year (see table below), now 32.1 per cent.
While there are now 113 ASX 200 companies that have reached 30 per cent women on their boards, 87 companies have not yet reached the target.
Notably, 76 of those boards are just one female appointment away from reaching 30 per cent.
The ASX 300 has also seen steady progress maintained this year, with a similar increase of 2 percentage points since October 2019, to 29.6 per cent this month.
AICD CEO and Managing Director, Angus Armour, said, “Now, more than ever, the diversity of leadership roles is critical to ensure an effective post-COVID recovery.
“This continuing upward trend indicates that the message about diversity is being heard. I am confident that we will see the ASX 300 reach the aggregate target in the very near future.
“We are calling on all companies who have not yet made active steps towards gender-balance in their leadership to consider the full pool of board-ready candidates for their next appointment.”
| Group | Female directorship (at 31 October 2020) |
| ASX 20 | 36.2% |
| ASX 50 | 33.9% |
| ASX 100 | 33.5% |
| ASX 200 | 32.1% |
| ASX 300 | 29.6% |
| ASX All Ords | 26.0% |
30% Club Australia Chair, Nicola Wakefield Evans said, “It is encouraging to see that the ASX 300 is very close to reaching 30 per cent women on boards.
“We will continue to target those companies on the ASX who fail to recognise not only the obvious benefits of board diversity, but the risks to reputation and performance for those who lag behind.”
There were two companies on ASX 200 with no women on their boards as at 31 October 2020:
- Silver Lake Resources Limited
- Perseus Mining Limited*
*Perseus Mining lost a female director in September but says it has commenced a search for two female directors.
Female directorships in the ASX – 12-month progress
| Group | 31 Oct 19 | 31 Jan 20 | 30 Apr 20 | 31 Jul 20 | 31 Oct 20 |
| ASX 20 | 35.7% | 36.1% | 35.5% | 35.1% | 36.2% |
| ASX 50 | 33.1% |
33.3% | 33.6% | 33.5% | 33.9% |
| ASX 100 | 31.8% | 31.8% | 31.8% | 32.5% | 33.5% |
| ASX 200 | 29.8% | 30.7% | 30.7% | 31.3% | 32.1% |
| ASX 300 | 27.4% | 28.2% | 28.4% | 29.3% | 29.6% |
| ASX 201-300 | 21.3% | 21.8% | 22.2% | 24.0% | 24.6% |
Media Contact: Maegen Sykes 0439 167 567
Latest news
Already a member?
Login to view this content