Annual Gender Equity Report 2019
The Gender Balance Index 2019, now in its sixth year, has shed light on the disappointing picture of gender diversity in central banks, sovereign funds, and public pension funds globally. The comprehensive study assessed the state of gender balance in senior positions within these key financial institutions and found that women were significantly underrepresented, particularly in the most senior executive positions.
The index specifically examined the gender balance in senior roles across central banks, sovereign funds, and public pension funds worldwide. In 2019, the overall landscape revealed a skew towards male representation, with women remaining underrepresented at senior levels.
Despite some progress in women's representation in political and public domains, global gender parity remains incomplete across many high-level economic and financial sectors. Significant gender gaps persist in labor market participation and senior leadership positions, contributing to economic and productivity losses globally.
In terms of regional performance, North America emerged as the most improved region with a central bank GBI index of 36%, an 11-percentage-point increase. Europe followed closely behind with a central bank GBI index of 38%, a three-percentage-point improvement. However, Asia had the lowest regional central bank GBI index score at 9%.
Out of 173 central banks globally, only 14 are headed by women. Thirty-five central banks have no women in senior positions. Sovereign funds, on the other hand, have a GBI score of 17%, with only eight funds headed by women.
The annual Gender Balance Index tracks the presence of men and women in senior positions of public financial institutions globally, weighted by seniority. The index also highlights that the picture of gender diversity in central banks is much more unbalanced compared to the equivalent in politics or the private side of the financial sector.
The study also emphasizes that poor diversity in many sovereign and public pension funds hinders ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investment. European public pension funds score the highest overall at 41%.
Since 2018, gender diversity in central banks has improved by six percentage points, with the Gender Balance Index score for central banks in 2019 being 25%. Global and regional scores are further weighted by the size of institutions' corresponding economies and assets under management.
The study serves as a call to action, urging for continued efforts to achieve balanced representation and break down systemic barriers to equal representation in these key financial institutions. Detailed up-to-date numeric figures or rankings from the 2019 Gender Balance Index would require direct access to that report, as the current search results do not contain precise statistics on this index.
- The analysis of the Gender Balance Index 2019 revealed that women are significantly underrepresented in senior positions within central banks, sovereign funds, and public pension funds, particularly in the most senior executive positions.
- The study demonstrated that AI can aid in the assessment of gender balance in these key financial institutions, highlighting the much more unbalanced picture of gender diversity in central banks compared to the equivalent in politics or the private side of the financial sector.
- The poor diversity in many sovereign and public pension funds is contributing to hindrances in ESG investment, with European public pension funds scoring the highest overall at 41%.
- The index shows that investment in improving gender diversity in these institutions is crucial for global economic productivity, as global and regional scores are further weighted by the size of institutions' corresponding economies and assets under management.
