SOCIAL
DIVERSIT Y IN THE WORKPLACE
ESG REPORTING INCREASINGLY CONSIDERED FOR INVESTMENT DECISION MAKING Refinitiv tracks the trend Refinitiv reports that investors are
Companies reporting gender metrics report
increasingly considering companies that
that they have an average of 37% female
engage in ESG reporting as part of their
managers and 52% female employees.
investment decision making. Amongst
in the 2017 financial year compared to 12.17% in the 2013 financial year; • Female Managers averaged 26.41%
2. Changes at the top
other highlights, Refinitiv identifies five
• Female Executives averaged 18.07%
in the 2017 financial year compared to
key gender metrics findings based on the
24.75% in the 2013 financial year; and
ESG reporting of over 4000 companies
While still significantly underrepresented,
in a five-year period (2013 – 2017) from
in the last five years there has been
in the 2017 financial year compared
all over the world including South Africa.
improvement among women at board
to 33.49% in the 2013 financial year.
and executive levels. Little has changed 1. Investors consider companies
at lower employee level, however. The
which report gender metrics
• Female Employees averaged 34.92%
3. The Corporate Ladder Gender Gap
recent improvements at board and
Overall, on a global scale, we see companies more willing to report granular data on gender diversity than
executive ranks reflect the increasing
There are still some significant
focus on gender diversity at the corporate
barriers when it comes to promotion
leadership level, with a 5.57% increase in
of women to more senior levels. In an
female executives between 2016-2017.
ideal world, we would see comparable average percentages of female
ever before. In the last five years, we have seen a 6% increase of companies reporting female manager numbers.
An analysis of the female composition
representation across all levels, but
of the workforce reveals the following:
the reality is starkly different. Using female employee percentages as
Companies reporting female employee
• Female board members averaged
numbers is also seen as a positive sign for investors looking for transparency as now almost half of companies report on this metric globally.
a baseline for comparison against
13.35% in the 2017 financial year
board, executive and non-executive
compared to 11.34% in the 2013
levels, the gender gap is substantial
financial year;
at all levels.
The Gender Gap: US
Japan
Aust
UK
Canada
Taiwan
South Africa
China
Br
Fr
Female Board Members (%)
20.6
4.7
17.7
22.9
20.2
11.0
23.7
10.3
8.4
42.8
Female Executives (%)
15.1
1.3
17.9
15.5
13.7
13.7
20.3
10.6
8.6
14.4
Female Managers (%)
33.3
9.6
28.2
25.2
31.1
28.6
31.5
26.3
29.1
13.1
