CISION PB Newswire
Despite welcome gains for women overall, progress for women of color lags behind
BOSTON, Oct. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Newly released data by the Eos Foundation’s Women’s Power Gap Initiative shows that women now make up the majority (56%) of the chairs leading 50 of the state’s most prominent government boards and commissions.
The report, Diversity Among Massachusetts’ 50 Most Prominent Government Boards and Commissions, finds that from 2019 to 2022, the number of women chairs in this group rose from 17 (34%) to 28 (56%). Yet only four (8%) of the total board chairs are women of color.
The 2022 progress report, which includes data as of October 1, 2022, also revealed:
- Women serving as chief executives of the boards/commissions increased from nine (22%) in 2019 to 14 (33%). However, women of color account for only 5% of leaders.
- Overall, full gender parity remains elusive: 28 boards (56%) are still majority male, and 16 boards have less than 30% women.
- There’s evidence of significant gender correlation: 73% of boards with gender parity have woman board chairs, while 69% of those with 30% or fewer women are chaired by men.
- While men of color experienced gains among chief executive positions from 5% to 12%, there were none serving as board chairs of the 50 most prominent boards and commissions.
- Of the 50 boards evaluated, sixteen boards were determined to need “Urgent Action” to make progress toward gender parity; of note:
- The percentage of women on the Massachusetts Growth Capital Board declined from 27% in 2019 to 23% in 2022, and that of the Judicial Nominating Commission decreased from 33% to 20% in the past three years
- The percentage of women on the University of Massachusetts Board plateaued at 29%
