Women

Catalyst presents the results of a Credit Suisse report looking at over 3,000 companies globally. The numbers suggest that on global average, women held 14.7% of board seats in 2015. There is also discussion of sector variations, the benefits of gender-balanced boards, and a brief breakdown of certain countries and regions.

Using primarily annual data from the 2016 Labour Force Survey, this report examines women’s labour market trends and how they have evolved over time. Canadian women’s experiences are also compared against other G7 countries, and divided along personal characteristic lines such as education attained, province, and marital status.

This Deloitte report provides a comprehensive look at both the global efforts made to increase board diversity, and the progress made to date. The research scans 6 continents, over 60 countries, and over 7,000 companies. Findings are divided by region and country, and include industry variations.

In 2017, McKinsey & Company surveyed 233 companies in nine Western European countries to measure progress made towards equal gender representation. They found great interest in gender diversity, but lacklustre results. The report notes that bridging the gender gap in Europe could add USD 2 trillion to the GDP by 2025.

Research conducted for this report state that companies with women in strong leadership positions generate a return on equity of 10.1% per year vs. 7.4% without. The MSCI uses this business case to make the argument that quotas are necessary to reach the goal of 30% female representation in a timely manner.