A study shows that there are more and more women on the boards of large German corporations. However, most companies are still a long way from achieving equal representation.
Almost one in five board members in the 180 largest listed companies is a woman. The proportion of women in the executive suites rose to 19.3 (2023: 18.3) percent by the end of June, reaching a record high, the “Women in Supervisory Boards” (Fidar) initiative reported in Berlin on Monday.
Still significantly fewer women than men
The proportion of women on the supervisory boards of companies in the DAX, MDAX, SDAX and other companies with equal co-determination is now 37.3 (35.3) percent. “However, most companies are still a long way from having equal representation on the boards,” the study says.
In companies with more than three board members, the board must have at least one woman as of 2022. According to Fidar, this affects 65 of the companies examined. Three of them – Südzucker, the insurance and building society group Wüstenrot & Württembergische (W&W) and the printing press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer – still have no woman on the board. This applies to more than a third of the 180 companies overall.
Federal Minister Paus: “Companies must continue to pick up the pace”
A women’s quota of at least 30 percent is required on supervisory boards for 104 of the 180 companies. The quota for them is on average 38.5 percent, while for the other 76 it is only 33.5 percent. “The pressure from the management position laws is having an effect,” said Federal Minister for Women Lisa Paus. “Our long-term goal, however, is for the management levels to be filled equally. To achieve this, private sector companies must continue to pick up the pace.”
The president of Fidar, Anja Seng, also called for more speed in order to achieve the goal of equal representation in management positions. “If companies do not show more commitment, the legislator must act,” explained Seng. Every company needs a binding and transparent strategy for equal participation at all management levels.
Monika Schulze-Strelow, founding member of Fidar, therefore called for the quotas to be extended to more companies. “Voluntary commitments do not work in the German economy,” she criticized.
Source: Stern
