SA listed companies still lack gender parity at board level
Loading player...
Colleen Larsen, CEO of Business Engage talks about Women’s participation on boards of South Africa’s listed companies has increased over the last five years, even steadily, with females now making up one third of non-executive directors.
However women remain largely underrepresented at executive level, with men still making up over 65% to 97% of various senior executive roles, according to Business Engage’s Status of Gender on JSE-Listed Boards 2022 report.
The report was sponsored by Nedbank, Kearney Middle East and Africa, the Institute of Directors South Africa, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
It tracked the availability of opportunities for women at the highest level of decision-making, analysing 159 companies – 50% of the companies listed on the JSE – between 2017 and 2021. It excluded companies that have been delisted since 2017 when it began the study, newly listed firms, and those whose profiles have changed considerably.
Its review found that five years after it was made a requirement for listed firms to adopt gender policies at board level, JSE-listed companies had 34% of women in non-executive directorship roles in 2021, compared with 23% in 2017.
Colleen Larsen, CEO of Business Engage, said there has been substantial progress in seating women on boards
However women remain largely underrepresented at executive level, with men still making up over 65% to 97% of various senior executive roles, according to Business Engage’s Status of Gender on JSE-Listed Boards 2022 report.
The report was sponsored by Nedbank, Kearney Middle East and Africa, the Institute of Directors South Africa, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
It tracked the availability of opportunities for women at the highest level of decision-making, analysing 159 companies – 50% of the companies listed on the JSE – between 2017 and 2021. It excluded companies that have been delisted since 2017 when it began the study, newly listed firms, and those whose profiles have changed considerably.
Its review found that five years after it was made a requirement for listed firms to adopt gender policies at board level, JSE-listed companies had 34% of women in non-executive directorship roles in 2021, compared with 23% in 2017.
Colleen Larsen, CEO of Business Engage, said there has been substantial progress in seating women on boards
