media release
Embargo: 1.00am (AEST) 6 October 2010
EOWA 2010 Australian Census of Women in Leadership
Pipeline to the top jobs still a pipedream for
women
New research released by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace
Agency (EOWA) has revealed that the number of women key executive managers
and board directors in the ASX 200 has barely changed over the past eight years.
The EOWA 2010 Australian Census of Women in Leadership, conducted by
Macquarie University, shows that women hold only 8.4% of board positions and 8%
of Executive Key Management Personnel positions. There are just six female CEOs
and five female chairs in the top 200 Australian companies.
Even more alarming is that only 4.1% of line roles are occupied by women, those
which are largely considered to be the pipeline to the Executive Key Management
Personnel and CEO roles. There has been no increase in these figures since 2008.
The proportion of companies with no women board directors has increased from
51% in 2008 to 54% in 2010. The proportion of companies with no women
Executive Key Management Personnel has declined slightly to 61.9% from 65.1% in
2008.
Compared with New Zealand, UK, Canada, US and South Africa, Australia has the
lowest percentages of women in the most senior positions.
Only one company, Pacific Brands, has achieved near-equal numbers of men and
women in its senior ranks. Led by CEO Sue Morphet, the company has 50% female
board directors and nearly 43% of female Executive Key Management Personnel.
Spotless Group Ltd and Tabcorp Holdings Ltd are also on the list of top performing
companies that have 25% or more women board directors and Executive Key
Management Personnel.
EOWA Acting Director, Mairi Steele, says “the EOWA 2010 Census clearly shows
nothing significant has occurred in Australian business culture to address the
systemic inequity that continues to prevent talented and capable women from
contributing at this high level.”
“Faced with EOWA’s eight years of trend data, business leaders cannot continue to
argue that time alone will fix this issue,” Ms Steele said.
“EOWA welcomes the action taken by businesses in response to the ASX Corporate
Governance Guidelines and encourages others to take their lead. The number of
women taking on board positions this year alone proves that there is no shortage of
talent¹.”
“But there is still a long way to go before there is anything resembling equality. The
EOWA 2010 Census draws a line in the sand and we will be measuring the
continuing success of recent initiatives against it,” Ms Steele said.
1
media release
Embargo: 1.00am (AEST) 6 October 2010
“With women making up 55% of university graduates and nearly 50% of the
workforce, it is just not acceptable that women are being denied the opportunity to
participate in the decisions that affect the organisations in which they work and the
communities in which they live.”
The business case for more women in leadership has been demonstrated and is
widely accepted. According to a 2009 McKinsey report², companies with three or
more women in top management out-performed companies with no women
executives on every organisational and financial indicator.
"The lack of women in leadership should be concerning for parents, educators,
politicians and business leaders. Parents should ask themselves, whether they are
content for their daughters to enter a workforce in which they have less chance to
rise to the top and in which they have to work more hours to earn as much as men.
Educators should be questioning the waste of talent and business leaders should
examine the economic cost of ignoring high potential women in the labour market,”
said Mairi Steele.
Women occupy one third of the total number of board seats in the Materials,
Insurance, Consumer Services, Banks, Software & Diversified Financial industries
groups.
Industries with the highest percentage of women Executive Key Management
Personnel are Telecommunications Services, Pharmaceuticals and Retailing.
Automobiles & Components and Consumer Durables & Apparel are the lowest
ranked groups with no Executive Key Management Personnel.
EOWA’s longitudinal study has been measuring the number of female board
directors and senior managers in the ASX 200 since 2002.
The EOWA Census was conducted in partnership with ANZ, Macquarie University and
the US research organisation, Catalyst.
ENDS
For more information contact
Rebecca Barnes (0411 482 738) Amber Fitzpatrick (0413 4444 62) or Nicole Parsons (0412 505 854)
Complete media kit including details of available talent available at
10_Media_Kit.asp
The EOWA 2010 Australian Women in Leadership Census will be officially released at the
Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Luncheon with
Mike Smith, ANZ CEO
and panel members
Rick Lee, Chairman, Salmat Limited;
Nancy Fox, MD AMBAC Assurance Corporation; and
Sandra McPhee, NED, AGL Energy
Date: Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Time: 12.30pm – 2.15pm
Venue: Sheraton on the Park, 161 Elizabeth St, Sydney
2
Women leaders, a competitive edge in and after crisis, Women Matter 3
Availability to Comment
EOWA 2010 Australian Census of Women in Leadership
The following people are available to provide comment on the EOWA 2010 Census of Women in
Leadership.
Equal Opportunity for Women
in the Workplace Agency
Mairi Steele
Acting Director
Nicole Parsons
0412 505 854
Macquarie University
Assoc Prof Peter McGraw
Director Labour Management Studies Foundation
Prof Anne Ross Smith, Professor, Management &
Learning & Director of Graduate Studies, Faculty of
Business and Economics
Lyn Danniger
0429 451 421
Naomi Joyce
02 9922 1063
Human Rights Commission
Elizabeth Broderick
Sex Discrimination Commissioner
Brinsley Marlay
0430 366 529
Diversity Council Australia
Nareen Young
CEO
Philip Clark
0427 100 150
Australian Institute of
Company Directors
Rick Lee
AICD Chairman
Steve Burrell
0407 708 485
Women on Boards
Ruth Medd
Chair
Claire Braund
Executive Director
Ruth 0419 407 231
Chaire 0409 981 781
Bron Wormald
9922 1063
CEOs, Boards Directors & Executive’s
ANZ
Susie Babani
ANZ Group Managing Director Human Resources
Vanessa
O’Shaughnessy
0466 153 272
Austar United
Communications
John Porter
CEO
Deanne Weir
Group Director, Corporate Development
Emma Rackley
0422 823 000
02 9394 9806
ASX
Jillian Segal
Independent Non-Executive Director
Leeanne Bland
02 9227 0410
Macquarie University
Prof Judyth Sachs
Deputy Vice Chancellor & Provost
Pro Vic Gail Whiteford
Pro Vice Chancellor (Social Inclusion)
Lyn Danniger
0429 451 421
Naomi Joyce
02 9922 1063
Pacific Brands
Various
Matthew Horan
0403 934 958
Spotless
Jo Farnik
MD & CEO
Rowan Wilkie
0418 577 956
03 9269 7303
Tabcorp
Kerry Willcock
Executive General Manager Corporate & Legal
Nicholas Tzaferis
03 9868 2529
ENDS
More talent information available at
ip_Census/2010_Media_Kit.asp
NEWS 
