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2006 Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors of the Fortune 500

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Research Reports

Published: February 2007

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For the first time, Catalyst presents its hallmark Census of women board directors as a web-only feature and in a new graphic format. This document details the percentage of board seats held by women, the percentage of board seats held by women of color, the percentage of committee chair positions held by women, and the number of companies with zero, one, two, and three or more women directors. The appendices list the companies by industry, and the average number and percentage or women directors by industry, geographic region, and Fortune 500 rank.

Impetus: In 1993, Catalyst began to produce an annual census to clarify the status of women on the boards of the largest companies in the United States. The census was designed to establish accurate statistics, to create a way to use the standard practice of benchmarking to promote women's advancement and to generate focused attention on this issue.

Methodology:

  • Catalyst analyzed the boards of each company in the Fortune 500 as published in April 2006.
  • Catalyst reported the data we obtained from public records.
  • The report details the gender diversity of corporate governance at Fortune 500 companies as of April 1, 2006.

Findings: In 2006, women held 14.6 percent of board seats at Fortune 500 companies, down from 14.7 percent in 2005. Women of color held just 3.1 percent of all Fortune 500 board seats, down from 3.4 percent in 2005. The number of companies with no women board directors increased from 53 in 2005 to 58 in 2006, but the number of companies with three or more women board directors also increased from 76 in 2005 to 84 in 2006.

Appendices:

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