The percentage of women on the boards of ISEQ 20 companies has reached 40%, up marginally from the 39% recorded in September, according to new figures.
The research is from the Balance for Better Business (B4BB) Review Group and has been released today to mark International Women's Day.
According to the data, Irish public companies remain on track to surpass EU requirements of 33% by 2026.
The number of women on individual company boards continues to grow with 80% of ISEQ20-listed companies having three or more women on their boards.
The figures show progress in balance at senior leadership level remains slow with the proportion of women on the leadership teams of the ISEQ20 sitting at 27%.
Across all listed companies in Ireland, the proportion of all male leadership teams stands at 24%.
"The latest data from Balance for Better Business show that the representation of women on the boards of the largest publicly listed companies, the ISEQ20, has now reached 40% – a major milestone for business in Ireland, and a testament to the efforts that have been made to date," said Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney.
"There is still much work to do, however, especially to accelerate the pace of change for senior leadership teams," Mr Coveney said.
Balance for Better Business co-chair Carol Andrews said it was encouraging to see continued progress in the number of women at board level among the largest listed public companies in Ireland.
"An increased focus on accelerating balance on senior leadership teams continues to be the next step on our path to fostering greater equity and inclusion across every level of Irish businesses," Ms Andrews said.
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