Wall Street Journal writer Rachel Feintzeig reported last week that, “One-fifth of seats on a broad swath of public-company boards are now held by women, a sign of change as U.S. corporations face increased pressure to diversify.
“The share of female board members in the Russell 3000 index, which includes most public companies on major U.S. stock exchanges, increased to 20% in the second quarter of this year from 19% the previous quarter, according to Equilar Inc., a governance-data firm. When Equilar began tracking the measure in late 2016, 15% of board seats were filled by women.
“The increases come amid calls for change from big investors and a new California law mandating female representation on public-company boards. In July, the last all-male board among S&P 500 companies—Dallas-based online car-auction company Copart Inc. added a female finance executive to its ranks.”
“Women’s Share of Board Seats Rises to 20%,” by Rachel Feintzeig. The Wall Street Journal (September 11, 2019).
The Journal article stated that, “Most companies seem to be banking on more edicts around diversity. Illinois’s governor in late August signed a bill requiring public companies based in the state to report on the composition of their boards, by gender and ethnicity, as well as on how they promote diversity at the board and executive level.”
