From Our Community is a content initiative from Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) that highlights events, business launches, retail partnerships, charitable initiatives, and more, all sent to us by members of the WIRLC community. If you have an announcement that you would like us to share with the Inner Circle audience, please contact Melissa Campanelli (mcampanelli@napco.com).

2020 Women on Boards (2020WOB), the leading global education and advocacy campaign accelerating women to corporate boards, has launched its bold new name and vision: 50/50 Women on Boards (50/50WOB), with women directors holding roughly half of all corporate board seats.

In 2010, 2020WOB set a 10-year goal for women to hold 20 percent of the corporate board seats of companies listed on the Russell 3000 Index. In 2020, women reached a historic 22.6 percent of the public company board seats. While this was an important milestone, out of the 2,982 Russell 3000 companies nationwide, our Gender Diversity Index (GDI) research revealed only 5 percent (154 companies) have gender-balanced boards. Additionally, one-third (1,064) of the Russell 3000 companies still only have one or no women on their boards.

50/50WOB will continue to educate, advocate and collaborate with corporations and individuals through its research, educational programs and events focused on the business imperative of women on corporate boards.

Partnering with Equilar, 50/50WOB will continue to release timely and topical research reporting on the progress of gender-balanced boards of the Russell 3000 Index companies, as well as corporations that report on the diversity of their boards.

To aid in its mission, 50/50 Women on Boards’ online and interactive Path to the Boardroom Workshop is an ideal program for mid-career women who want to explore whether corporate boards are right for them or looking to prepare to serve on a public or private company board seat in five years to 10 years. Based on individuals unique skills, Path to the Boardroom provides future aspiring board candidates with the strategic tools needed to increase their visibility where it counts. Each workshop will meet on Tuesday afternoon for two-and-a-half hours, and is limited to 28 participants. To learn more or to be added to the waitlist, contact 50/50WOB.