Half of companies on the Russell 3000 Index have no women directors or only one woman on their boards, according to this year’s Gender Diversity Index (GDI) published by 2020 Women on Boards, the national education and advocacy campaign whose mission is to increase the number of women who serve on corporate boards of directors.  New IPOs are lagging even further behind, where 80% of the top 25 IPO companies in 2017 went public with no women directors or only one woman on their boards. Despite these disappointing findings, some progress has been made. Women now hold 17.7% of the board seats in the R3000, up from 16% last year.

"Shareholders are paying close attention to this slow progress and registering their dissatisfaction with boards. They know that when women serve on boards, a greater return on their investment is highly likely, according to independent studies. The pipeline is overflowing with exceptionally qualified women, but corporate boards and search firms must look beyond their own immediate circles to find those women candidates,” said Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, CEO of 2020 Women on Boards.

To read the full report, click here.