Third Bi-annual EuropeanPWN BoardWomen Monitor 2008

in partnership with Egon Zehnder International

• Overall progress remains glacially slow
• Norway by far Europe’s champion

• Companies score better on international diversity than gender diversity

Movement is glacially slow

Apart from The Netherlands, the rest of Europe is moving glacially slow. The Netherlands has taken over the lead position in the first group of followers from the United Kingdom. With 12.3%, almost double the percentage of 2006 (6.5%), this country clearly benefits from the many private initiatives and press attention for the issue of women’s underrepresentation on boards in the past few years. The UK at 11.5% seems to have reached a standstill since the percentage has hardly moved since two years ago (11.4%) after an initial encouraging growth rate of 1.4 percentage points from 10% in 2004. Growth in France is below average, resulting in 7.6% women on boards from 7.3% in 2006. Germany recorded an average growth of women on boards, from 7.2% in 2006 to 7.8%.

The Front Runners in Scandinavia are accelerating

Norway’s impressive growth path to 44.2% women on boards (from 28.8% in 2006 and 22% in 2004) is followed at a lesser but still impressive pace by the other Scandinavian countries. Sweden posted 26.9%, up from 22.8% in 2006, whereas Finland and Denmark recorded 25.7% and 18.1% respectively (up from 20% and 17.9%). All Scandinavian countries continue to outperform the rest of Europe.

Increasing divide in Europe

Italy and Portugal remain Europe’s laggards, with Greece, Spain and Switzerland a little ahead. Marked by stagnation, the divide between these countries and the rest is increasing quickly. However, we expect to see some impact of Spain’s very recently introduced quota legislation in the next survey in 2010.

For more information contact us: BWM2008@europeanpwn.net

This third edition of the EuropeanPWN BoardWomen Monitor has been designed by the European Professional Women’s Network and
Egon Zehnder International.