A new study on gender diversity in the boardroom shows a slow but steady increase in the presence of women on corporate boards over the past five fiscal years, with 64 percent reporting women board members, up from 56 percent in 2009. And for the first time, more than half of corporate boards reported that 10 percent or more of their board is female, according to the report by Thomson Reuters, a provider of intelligent information for businesses and professionals.

The report, “Climb to the Top—Tracking Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards,” examines the level of gender diversity on corporate boards globally, breaking it down by region and sector, using data from Thomson Reuters ASSET4 universe.

Of the 4,255 public companies analyzed, only 20 percent report having a board consisting of 20 percent or more women, compared to 13 percent in 2009, but more than half (51 percent) report boards of 10 percent or more women, up from 40 percent in 2009.

On a regional basis, the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) has widened its lead in having at least 20 percent female board members and has also overtaken the Americas for having at least 10 percent female representation on the board since 2009, while companies in the Asia Pacific region continue to report having the least gender diverse boards.

By sector, healthcare, financial and consumer goods and services lead in gender-diverse boards

Source: Thomson Reuters