New AICD report shows number of women on ASX boards is rising steadily

A new report released by the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) shows that 42 per cent of all directors appointed to ASX 200 boards in 2016 are women.

The report states that women are being appointed to ASX 200 boards at a faster rate than ever before but the momentum needs to be sustained if companies are to reach a 30 per cent target set by AICD.

The AICD’s target is for all ASX 200 companies to have 30 per cent female directors by the end of 2018.

“The solid progress this year gives us hope that Australia’s biggest companies have got the message that gender diversity is not just common sense, but also good business sense. We applaud the chairs who have appointed more female directors and encourage others to follow their example so that we can reach our 30 per cent target,” said John Brodgen, AICD’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

The AICD report provides a breakdown of the proportion of women on every ASX 200 board and lists the 20 companies that still have no female directors.

The report stated that Medibank Private was the best performer because females, including its Chair Elizabeth Alexander, accounted for 71.4 per cent of its board. Another five companies had an even 50 per cent split between male and female directors.

“In total, 53 ASX 200 companies have reached our 30 per cent target. This is a good start but the rate of growth in female appointments needs to continue if we are to have a realistic chance of achieving our goal within our stated timeframe of 2018,” Brogden said.

 “Companies who are lagging behind need to take action to catch up with their peers who are already well on the way to achieving the 30 per cent target.”