UAE- Women joining but not leading boardrooms globally, says Deloitte

(MENAFN- The Arabian Post) The representation of women on corporate boards continues to increase, but the number of women leading boards still remains low globally. Overall, women now hold 12 percent of seats worldwide with only 4 percent chairing boards, according to the fourth edition of the Women in the Boardroom: A Global Perspective, report by Deloitte.

The report outlines the efforts of 49 countries to increase the number of women occupying board seats. European countries continue to lead on gender diversity in the boardroom, with Norway, France, Sweden and Italy all ranking high.

Regionally, countries in the Americas and Asia Pacific region have progressed the least. According to the report the regional breakdown of women chairs is: Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) (5 percent), the Americas (4 percent) and Asia-Pacific (4 percent).

"The global statistics mask important differences within countries. For example, Scandinavian countries have successful policies that make it easier for women to serve on boards, compared with the Asia-Pacific region which has been slow to implement such policies. The Middle East region in general lags behind most developed nations. So, it's clear that more can be done. We actively encourage increased collaborative effort from organizations, governments and policy-makers; it is the only way we will begin to see results worldwide and in our region," said Rana Ghandour Salhab, talent and communications partner at Deloitte Middle East.

"Research shows that women are a key driving force for the GCC economic engine. There is a strong business case for having more women on such leadership platforms as diverse and balanced teams improve an organization's bottom line. In fact, companies with more women on their boards were found to outperform their rivals," said Cynthia Corby, Audit partner, Deloitte UAE.