Women hold one in five commercial roles on the boards of the UK’s 350 largest listed companies, new research has found.
The report by The Pipeline suggests companies have blind spots and work at “various levels of consciousness” regarding senior female employees.
It says most of the firms surveyed failed to address the key barriers female employees face at work.
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The study reveals the concept of the “woman tax,” where women are given extra tasks alongside their primary duties, leading to unequal career progression.
The report says there has been progress, with the average percentage of women in executive committee roles in the FTSE 350 surpassing 30 percent for the first time.
However, it finds women are more likely to hold “functional” positions, such as HR or marketing.
This is instead of senior commercial roles in charge of profit and loss-making functions.
The report calls for businesses to foster a diverse leadership pipeline at all levels.
It also emphasises the slow pace of progress, particularly in appointing female CEOs.
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It also reveals a lack of gender balance in various industries.
It acknowledged sectors like transport, health, electricity, utilities, and insurance making strides toward gender parity/
Others, including automobiles and mining, still lag behind.
“Glacial rate of progress”
Sue O’Brien, chair of The Pipeline, said: “The glacial rate of progress towards gender parity demonstrated in our report is a serious cause for concern.
“Businesses must not shy away from some of these uncomfortable truths: leaders need to examine their workplace culture and ensure that their promotion procedures are truly equitable as well as being merit-based.
“Taking care of, developing and investing in the workforce you already have is a priority.”
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Alexandra Hall-Chen of the Institute of Directors acknowledges there has been some progress.
However, she addressed the need for continued efforts to eliminate gender discrimination and enhance female representation across all levels.
Pavita Cooper, chair of the 30% Club UK, calls for a fundamental change in workplace cultures.
She said: “We need the men at the top of these organisations to challenge the complacency and drive a sense of urgency levelling the playing field for women.
“That should start with addressing the imbalance around gender stereotypes and caring responsibilities.”
