Conservative women probe board openings

A group of Conservative MPs is to investigate why so few executive directors of the UK’s biggest companies are women.

The Conservative Women’s Forum inquiry will try to identify barriers preventing female employees from reaching senior executive positions and how they can be overcome.

Figures show that only 6.6 per cent of executive directors on FTSE 100 companies are women while eight boards are all-male. More women have been appointed as non-executive directors recently, but none has been awarded executive roles since March.

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The Executive Women in the Workplace inquiry, co-chaired by Therese Coffey and Mary Macleod, will interview and take written evidence from companies, investors and recruitment firms.

Dr Coffey said: “Progress has been made on female board participation recently, but we feel there is much more that can be done.”