Statistics released by the Professional Boards Forums’s BoardWatch highlight that women made up 19 per-cent of FTSE 100 directors (as of 1 October 2013), up from 17.4 per-cent as of May 2013 and 12.5 per-cent as of February 2011 when Lord Davies reported.  The figures also highlight that 25 per-cent of all board appointments since 1 March 2013 have been women.  To achieve the target set by Lord Davies, 66 more board seats on FTSE 100 companies are required to be held by women. 

FTSE 250 companies are also reporting an increase with 14.9 per-cent of women directors on their boards, up from 13.8 per-cent as of May 2013 and 7.8 per-cent as of February 2011.  Thirty-six per cent of all board appointments to FTSE 250 companies since March 2013 have been women.  To achieve the target set by Lord Davies, 202 more board seats on FTSE 250 companies are required to be held by women. 

Against these improvements, there has been a slight increase in the number of all-male boards in the FTSE 100 which has increased from five in May 2013 to six in October 2013.  The number of all-male boards for FTSE 250 companies has decreased from 62 in May 2013 to 51 in October 2013. 

The government sees the figures as “encouraging” but has stated that it will continue to “work closely with the FTSE 350 to help them increase female representation on their boards”.  There will also be a series of roundtables with FTSE 350 companies in the autumn.   

Click for:

• Press release (Link to BIS website)
• Latest women on boards statistics (Link to Professional Boards Forum BoardWatch website)
• Latest annual progress report (April 2013) from Lord Davies into Women on Boards (Link to BIS website)
• The original Lord Davies Women on Boards report from 2011 (Link to BIS website)