Women's progress is slipping: census

Conducted by Macquarie University, the EOWA Census showed the number of women executive managers in the ASX200 has declined to 10.7% from 12% in 2006 and 11.4% in 2004. The number of companies with no women executive managers has risen sharply to 45.5% from 39.5% in 2006.

54.5% of ASX200 companies have at least one woman in an executive management position, which is lower than the US (85.2%), Canada (65.6%), UK (60%) and South Africa (59.3%).

Women who do make it to executive roles are overwhelmingly clustered in support roles that don't provide access to the profit-and-loss or direct client services that are widely considered essential for rising to the top. At the time of the census, women held only four CEO positions in the ASX200: Harvey Norman Holdings, Macarthur Coal Limited, Macquarie Airports and Singapore Telecommunications Limited.

Commenting on the results, EOWA director Anna McPhee said: "At the time of the 2006 census we described the pace of change as glacial. In 2008 the results show that women's progress is melting away."

McPhee noted that the dearth of women at the top levels of business is the result of fewer opportunities, hostile cultures and outdated work practices that haven't kept pace with women's increased education levels, experience and ambition to be among the people influencing Australia's future.