A new report out today from Women on Boards has found that 36% of top ASX200 companies surveyed have made no progress towards Australia’s ASX corporate governance guidelines on gender diversity.  A total of 82 companies from the ASX200 were surveyed to evaluate their response to the guidelines and progress in achieving a gender diverse workplace.  Key findings included:

• Companies in the ASX100 are working harder on diversity than those in the ASX101 to ASX200 (called the ASX200
• The banks are leading the way in Australia, with the big four getting a green light, and Suncorp-Metway and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank close behind with the top level amber rating of 2.3.
• Other sectors doing well include diversified financials, telecommunications, transportation and insurance.
• Real estate, food, beverage and tobacco are making progress as are some in the energy sector although only three (AGL, Caltex and Origin) scored above 2.1.
• Commercial and professional services, consumer services and the big retailers Myer and David Jones rated poorly
• The materials sector is very much in the red zone when it comes to diversity with the exception of the two big miners, BHP and Rio Tinto, and OZ Minerals.
• There was little correlation between the numbers of female directors of a company and its overall rating.

The full survey results can be downloaded here from the Women on Boards website.