Research tells us what women miss out on board roles because of their cultural background. Women on Boards is committed to raising awareness of this issue via its Board Cultural Diversity Index and associated resources research and activities.
Meet our Cultural Diversity Committee
CULTURALLY SPEAKING SERIES
In this NEW series we interview the women behind WOB's Cultural Diversity Committee about why they joined the committee, what they have learned along the way and their visions for cultural diversity in 2023. Read more HERE
Truth Be Told - Cultural Diversity on Australian Boards
Women on Boards’ (WOB) research shows that while a gender balance of 40% female has largely been achieved on the boards of organisations across many sectors, the inclusion of culturally diverse and Indigenous Australians has largely been ignored.
Read more HERE
Watch / Listen to SBS' Coverage of the Report - Watch (from 39.04 min - 42 min) HERE | LISTEN to the podcast HERE
Fostering Culturally Diverse Leadership in Organisations
What can we learn from leaders who have thrived and smashed the ‘bamboo ceiling’? Are there other factors holding organisational change back? These are questions WOB member, NED and former senior Big 4 partner Karen Loon asks in her book Fostering Culturally Diverse Leadership in Organisations. Read more, including an extract from the book HERE
Listen to Claire Braund in conversation with Karen Loon HERE
Counting Culture Survey
The inaugural 2021 Women on Boards Counting Culture Survey revealed that women miss out on board roles because of their cultural background. One in three respondents said they have missed out on a board or committee opportunity because of their cultural background. This increased to 53% for those born overseas compared with 17% for those born in Australia. Read more
Spotlight on Cultural Diversity
A selection of interviews, videos, stories and podcasts to:
- celebrate culturally diverse women in board and leadership roles;
- debate issues; and
- provide information to inform your thinking HERE
Board Cultural Diversity Index
As we have seen for gender diversity on boards, it is critical to measure and track the data in order to achieve change. WOB launched its Board Cultural Diversity Index in 2020 to establish a baseline for moving forward.
ASX 200 companies
Cultural diversity on boards is slipping backwards. According to the 2020 Board Diversity Index Report published by the Governance Institute, cultural (ethnic) diversity on ASX 300 boards had decreased since 2019. The report found that there is no reason for this except inaction.
Research done by members of the CDWG between February and May 2020 on the cultural composition of ASX200 Boards (including Company Secretaries and Managing Directors) found that just 5.2% of all positions were held by men or women of non-Anglo origin.
| Category |
Number of Directors on ASX200
(prior to June 2020) |
% of Total Directors on ASX200
(rounded to nearest .1%) |
| Men of Anglo Origin |
983 |
64.7% |
| Men of Non-Anglo Origin |
51 |
3.4% |
| Women of Anglo Origin |
457 |
30.1% |
| Women of Non-Anglo Origin |
28 |
1.8% |
| Total |
1,519 |
100% |
Data for number of directors includes managing directors and company secretaries so total director numbers are higher than in the ASX200 in the 2020 Boardroom Gender Diversity Index.
NSW Not for Profits with revenues of $50M+
Data for the Not for Proft sector was sourced from the ACNC 2018 Annual information Statement (https://data.gov.au/search?q=acnc). NSW charities with revenues of $50M+ were included.
| Category |
Number of Board Members
of Charities with revenues of $50M+
|
% of Total Board Members |
| Anglo Men |
607 |
57% |
| Non-Anglo Men |
61 |
6% |
| Anglo Women |
369 |
34% |
| Non-Anglo Women |
35 |
3% |
| Total |
1072 |
100% |
NSW Not for Profits with revenues of $10-$20M
For the purpose of this study NFPs whose main activity was one of the following were excluded:
-
Aged Care
-
Primary & Secondary Education
-
Religious Activities
These activities were excluded on the premise that cultural diversity is lacking in these sectors and this was demonstrated through the data collected for the $50M+ charities.
Below is a summary of cultural diversity on 155 registered NFPs in NSW with revenues of $10M-$20M.
| Category |
Total Directors |
% total board |
| Anglo Men |
697 |
56.5% |
| Non-Anglo Men |
74 |
6% |
| Anglo Women |
404 |
32.7% |
| Non-Anglo Women |
59 |
4.8% |
| Total |
1234 |
100% |
Related Research
How do you count culture?
New research from Diversity Council Australia (DCA) and the University of Sydney Business School has developed a standardised approach for defining, measuring, and reporting on workforce cultural diversity in a respectful, accurate and inclusive way. Read more
Contact
Nicole Donegan (WOB COO) 0417 056 474 | nicole@womenonboards.net
Mahjabeen Zaman (Committee Chair) 0490 702 680 | mahjabeenzaman@gmail.com
Meet our Cultural Diversity Committee