Women represent 40% of boards at top UK firms for first time

UK government has reported on Tuesday that women now constitute 40 percent of board members at the 350 biggest listed companies (.FTLC) for the first time in 2022.

The 40 percent target was set in February 2022 by FTSE Women Leaders Review for FTSE350 companies to be achieved in leadership positions by 2025.

The target was achieved three years ahead of its due date, moving beyond the previous target of 33 percent.

Kemi Badenoch, business and trade secretary and women’s equality Minister expressed that “this progress is very welcome, and I’d urge business to keep up this momentum to achieve better balance in leadership positions as well as in boardrooms.”

On the other hand, women representation in leadership roles still falls behind the target. Women in non-board leadership constituted 34.3 percent; in addition to 33.5 percent of executive committee.

The fashion company Burberry Group had the highest percentage of women representation in leadership of the FTSE 100, at 54 percent.

Different from other EU countries, the goal set was not obligatory for firms to abide by. Noteworthy, that there is no mandatory quota for women on boards at listed companies is in place in UK .

Badenoch added “change doesn’t always require top-down interventions but can occur when everyone is pushing in the same direction.”