Women and men in leadership positions  in the European Union,  2013. A review of the situation and recent progress October 2013.

“Women account for 46% of people in employment across the EU13 and on average they have a higher level of  education than their male colleagues: 34% of working women have some form of tertiary level education compared  to 28% of men. Yet at the top levels of business women remain under-represented. In economic terms, this represents a lack of return on investment that is to the detriment of companies and to the general prospects for prosperity and growth in the European Union. There is, therefore, also an economic and business case for taking action to address the situation.  A number of Member States have taken positive steps to promote gender equality in company boardrooms but the actions taken, the targets set, and the progress achieved are fragmented. The European Commission has therefore taken the lead in proposing legislation at EU level to ensure a common framework and objective to achieve gender balance.”