The business case for increasing the number of women on corporate boards is clear. Women are successful in university studies and at the onset of their careers, but attrition rates increase as they progress through an organization. Women represent 60 percent of university graduates globally and 80 percent of consumer-goods-purchasing decision-makers. Evidence suggests that companies with strong female representation at board and top-management levels perform better than those without and that gender-diverse boards have a positive impact on performance.
The Women on Boards Observatory aims to improve the gender balance of corporate boards in Egypt and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by sensitizing male board members to gender issues, qualifying women from different sectors to be appointed to corporate boards, and advocating for policy and legislative changes that institutionalize gender diversity on corporate board.