Women Board Directors on Fortune 500 - USA

Women held 14.7 percent of all Fortune 500 board seats, compared with 13.6 percent in 2003. Women are more likely to sit on boards of U.S. corporations than Canadian (12.0 percent), South African (10.7 percent) or Australian corporations (8.6 percent).

The industries with the highest percentage of women board directors (18.2 - 40.9 percent in decending order): Savings Institutions; Real Estate; Household and Personal Products; Health Care Insurance; Temporary Help; Food and Drug Stores; P&C Insurance; Pharmaceuticals; Building Materials (Glass); Insurance: Life, Health; Truck Leasing; Specialty Retailers; Toys/Sporting Goods; Publishing/Printing.

At current average growth rate of one-half of a percentage point per year, it will take 70 years for women to reach parity with men on Fortune 500 boards.
(source: 2005 Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors of the Fortune 500)