While the gender divide continues to narrow in the workplace, there are certain glass ceilings that may have fissures, but have yet to be cracked wide open.  One of these is an apex of corporate achievement – and one that to many is mysterious: a seat on a corporation’s Board of Directors.   The statistics speak loudly: while almost half of the U.S. workforce is now comprised of women, companies in the Fortune 1000 have only appointed 11% of their board seats to women.   What might change this?  Perhaps a good grassroots movement (founded by women, of course)…

Women on Boards: 20% by 2020

To accelerate the slow progress of women’s ascension to corporate boards, two enterprising women in leadership positions themselves have started a movement that we would love to see catch on: 2020 Women on Boards, whose simple mission is to increase the percentage of women on U.S. public boards to 20% or greater by the year 2020. 

Why does this matter?  According to the 2020 founders,most people today have no knowledge about the makeup of corporate boards, even in the companies for which they work.  Yet boards of directors make decisions that can impact all of us: employees, shareholders, consumers, and communities.  Good corporate decision-making requires diversity of thought, which comes from people who have different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.  And yet with the homogeneity that prevails across many corporate boards, that diversity of perspectives may be hard to come by – including the (rather important) female perspective.

Some of the suggested ways you can get involved:

• Register your support for the campaign and talk it up.  (You can also follow the campaign on Twitter at @2020WOB)

• Learn about the board composition of your own company (and if there is no more than one woman director, consider raising this constructively with management).  Women’s representation on a company’s board is also another interesting factor to take into account when exploring new employment.

• If you own individual stock in a company, find out how many women serve on its board, and if the answer is lacking, ask the company why.
  

You can find on their site a directory of companies that already meet the “20% or more” criteria (and watch out companies that are most lagging: a directory of “zero” companies is in the works).  Even better, get some advice (and a listing of specialist search firms) that might enable that next female board member to be… you.

Learn more at 2020wob.com