Toronto – Participating Canadian securities regulatory authorities today published the results of their eighth annual review of disclosures relating to women on boards and in executive officer positions.

The findings summarize the corporate governance disclosures of 625 non-venture issuers and have been published by securities regulatory authorities in Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Yukon (the participating jurisdictions).

Key highlights of the findings:

• Twenty-four per cent of board seats are held by women, an increase of two per cent since last year.
• The percentage of board vacancies filled by women increased 10 per cent – from 35 per cent last year to 45 per cent this year.
• Eighty-seven per cent of issuers have at least one woman on their board, an increase of five per cent since last year.
• Thirty per cent of issuers have at least three women on their board, an increase of six per cent since last year.
• Seven per cent of issuers have a woman chairing their board.

“Investors are increasingly looking for more information about diversity on boards and in executive officer positions,” said Stan Magidson, CSA Chair and Chair and CEO of the Alberta Securities Commission. “The increased representation of women in corporate board rooms and in senior leadership is encouraging, and we’re considering our approach with respect to broader diversity.”

Additional information on the review can be found in CSA Multilateral Staff Notice 58-314 Review of Disclosure Regarding Women on Boards and in Executive Officer Positions (Year 8 Report), available on CSA member websites.

The CSA, the council of the securities regulators of Canada’s provinces and territories, co-ordinates and harmonizes regulation for the Canadian capital markets.