Britain’s boardrooms are bastions of business dominated by men despite years of campaigning and legislation to throw open their doors to women.

Equality champions reckon that 5,400 women should walk the corridors of power at the headquarters of the country’s top companies – but most are conspicuous by their absence amid the 26,000 strong throng of male directors.

Considering the rate of current progress, the Equality and Human Rights Commission estimates parity between the sexes at the helm of industry will take another 70 years.

Sex & Power 2011, a report from the commission, revealed little has changed in public or private sector boardrooms since 2008.

Although more women are graduating with better degrees than men, few are gaining management posts as men, despite being in similar jobs during their twenties.

Source: Sex & power 2011 Equality & Human rights Commission

Commissioner Kay Carberry said: “The gender balance at the top has not changed much in three years, despite there being more women graduating from university and occupying middle management roles. We had hoped to see an increase in the number of women in positions of power, however this isn’t happening.

“Many women disappear from the paid workforce after they have children, so employers lose their skills. Others become stuck in positions below senior management, leaving many feeling frustrated and unfulfilled.  Consequently, the higher ranks of power in many organisations are still dominated by men.

“If Britain is to stage a strong recovery from its current economic situation, then we have to make sure we’re not wasting women’s skills and talents.”

The report notes that women are ‘flooding’ well-paid jobs that demand good qualifications, like the law, accountancy and medicine, but are failing to break through to executive roles from senior management posts.

“Progress for women has been tortuously slow,” said the report. “While women make progress in some sectors, that progress stalls or reverses in other sectors. It is a trend of waxing and waning, not upward movement.”

Download a copy [LINK: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/key-projects/sexandpower/]

This article  is filed under: Women Boardroom Discrimination, Diversity, Legal, Leadership, Minorities, Role models