Women on Boards: Progress Report 2017

Dec 11, 2017

MSCI ESG Research has reported annually on the state of women’s representation on corporate boards of directors since 2014, continuing the work begun by GMI Ratings in 2009. Over the course of 2018, we will provide a suite of analysis as part of the MSCI ESG Corporate Gender Diversity Series. In this paper we provide an update on the advancement of women on the boards and in the executive suites of large global companies. Overall progress has been slow, even lagging the business-as-usual rate of increase we anticipated in 2015. We now project that it will be at least 2028, rather than 2027, before 30% of MSCI ACWI Index company board seats are filled by women, if the current rate of increase remains unchanged. Nonetheless, there were a few surprises, which point to shifts that may be underway in specific markets.