Britain makes barely any progress increasing the number of female CEOs

The number of women leading UK companies has barely increased over the past year, with just 6.3pc of firms run by a female chief executive. However, the UK ranks fifth among the G20 nations in terms of the proportion of women leading companies, according to data from S&P Capital IQ that canvasses almost 300,000 businesses across the globe. Felicia Willow, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, a charity that campaigns for gender equality and women’s rights, said: “After a year in which women have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic policy response in the workplace, employers need to take a more proactive response to gender equality,” adding: “Gender equality is good for business, which makes the slow progress we are seeing even more disappointing.” Companies have been under pressure to increase the number of women in senior roles and to improve pay inequality between men and women. In 2016 the Government appointed Sir Philip Hampton and the late Dame Helen Alexander to chair an independent review aimed at increasing the proportion of women at the top of companies.