"Boards are not social agencies, and it is not their job to create cultural diversity. Yet they are discovering that a diverse board helps generate better returns for shareholders."

J. Veronica Biggins, Heidrick & Associates

The 1999 Catalyst census found that 62% of all Fortune 501-1000 companies had a least one woman director. Surprisingly, 2001 findings showed a slight decrease in representation, as only 61% of the companies had a least one woman director. These findings suggest that there is a greater representation of women on corporate boards at large companies. Indeed, according to the 2001 Catalyst census, 99% of the Fortune 100 have at least one woman director, whereas only 55% of Fortune’s 901-1000 companies have at least one woman director. Go to Catalyst Website

A 1999 study conducted by Hofstra University at the request of Women on the Job found that only 3.6% of the board seats of the Top 100 Public Companies on Long Island were held by women. A similar study conducted by Adelphi University in 2002 found the number of women on boards increased slightly to 4.4%. View Full Report

Although the number of women on boards has been increasing on the boards of the Fortune 500 corporations, women have made little progress on the boards of smaller public corporations.