According to a report released this week by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, progress towards gender parity in the boardroom remains slow in Canada. While the proportion of women on boards is increasing, the data shows just 21% of board directors were women in 2020 compared to 18% in 2016. The report, which analyzed Statistics Canada data on publicly-traded corporations, highlighted outdated corporate culture and poor recruitment and retention practices as reasons for why women often struggle to move beyond middle management to board positions.

CBC reported on the issue as part of their coverage of an International Women’s Day panel at Empire Club of Canada in Toronto, which featured WGOB Founder & CEO Dr. Deborah Rosati as a moderator. In the story, Deborah told CBC that she remains optimistic about gender equity on Canadian boards.

“We’re about helping women be more confident and have more courage to lead and serve on corporate boards,” she said.

Read more in the full article from CBC: Equality in the boardroom? Not any time soon, says Canadian Chamber of Commerce