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However, women have become increasingly reluctant to put themselves forward for board positions and continue to encounter barriers in accessing the boardroom, due to the effects of what they believe is a ‘glass ceiling’, created by a lack of contacts, difficulties accessing networks and by the presence of ‘male dominated’ boards in particular sectors.
The wide-ranging debate and increased focus on the topic of gender diversity across the business, political and media spheres in recent years is likely to have influenced the growth in awareness, with 82 per cent of the women surveyed for this report of the view that awareness of gender diversity is improving.
Such awareness is leading many boards to place a higher priority on gender diversity and the level of representation of women on boards in Ireland is improving, although while progress is being made there is, without doubt, still some way to go.
The ‘glass ceiling’ remains an issue of concern for one in three women, who believe it is preventing them from accessing the boardroom. There is also a shift in focus to particular sectors, with 27 per cent of the women surveyed saying that a ‘glass ceiling’ exists in sectors such as financial services, construction, manufacturing and property, a rise of 9 per cent since similar research was conducted with women members of the Institute of Directors in Ireland in 2013.
Of greatest concern, is that women continue to feel locked out of the boardroom with the majority, 57 per cent, claiming that women do not have the same access to information as men when it comes to board positions and consequently, 76 per cent believe it is more difficult for women to become non-executive directors in Ireland than men.
Interlocking directorships, a lack of networks and contacts and ‘male dominated’ boards are considered key barriers to women accessing the boardroom.
The research also found that women have become increasingly reluctant to put themselves forward for board positions as a result, with 62 per cent saying they were more reluctant than men to do so, compared to 43 per cent in 2013. A lack of confidence, lack of contacts and a lack of female role models in such positions are cited as stumbling blocks, while there is also a sense of disenchantment among the women surveyed with the ‘who you know’ approach to board appointments.
In terms of addressing gender imbalance in the boardroom, four in five say that women themselves need to take some responsibility for the low level of women on boards in Ireland, arguing that they need to be more proactive in their approach to securing directorships. Many women have already taken steps in this regard, with two-thirds having undertaken formal director training to prepare for their board positions.
There is a decreasing appetite for formal quotas, with a reduction since 2013, in the number who say that quotas are most effective in getting more women on boards and an increase in in those who argue that quotas are entirely the wrong approach to addressing gender diversity on boards.
The largest proportion of women surveyed, 40 per cent, are in agreement that targets would be the preference over quotas, as a means of increasing the number of women on boards in Ireland.
While there are positive findings in the research in terms of improvements since 2013, many of the same issues remain in terms of accessing the boardroom. Women do not feel they are competing on a level-playing field and the ‘who you know’ culture of board appointments continues to prevail.
It is clear that cultural changes are needed in terms of the way in which appointments are advertised and made and a greater focus needs to be placed on addressing issues of access if we want to ensure that the number of women participating in Ireland’s boardrooms continue to grow.
Maura Quinn, Chief Executive, Institute of Directors in Ireland
This article details the findings of online research carried out with 196 women members of the Institute of Directors in Ireland between April 2015 - May 2015 and is compared, where relevant, to the findings of similar research carried out in 2013.
