S'pore's corporate boards more diverse but still lag other countries

The number of women sitting on the boards of listed firms on Singapore Exchange rose last year compared with 2010 but the proportion is way behind other developed economies which have grown at a faster pace.

Women's representation in the boardrooms rose to 7.3 per cent in 2011 from 6.9 per cent in 2010, according to the latest edition of the Singapore Board Diversity Report: The Female Factor.

Family firms, listed trusts and Temasek-linked companies were at the forefront of the agenda for gender diversity in boards with 8.2 per cent, 9.7 per cent and 10.3 per cent of female directors sitting on their boards respectively.

SGX-listed firms have also fallen far behind statutory boards which had a significantly higher proportion of 19.8 per cent of female directors last year.