Ahead of International Women’s Day 2023 Raffolux reveals that btween 2016 and 2021 the UK registered a 12.5% increase in the number of women on boards – the highest number seen in a list of similar countries. Searches made globally for ‘female CEO’ soared by 644% between 2012 and 2022
February 2023: Ahead of International Women’s Day Raffolux, the UK’s leading digital raffling platform, shares that the UK has seen the biggest increase in the number of women on boards since 2016. The company analysed data from the annual FTSE Women Leaders Report to reveal that the UK experienced a +12.5% increase in the number of women on boards between 2016 and 2021. The increase is the largest seen in a list of similar countries.
Raffolux shares that the UK’s progress has overtaken the likes of Canada, the Netherlands, France and Germany who are all included in the top five countries found in the list. The FTSE Women Leaders Report has been published every year since 2011 and highlights progress made to address the gender imbalance on the boards of FTSE 350 companies. The reports also include practical recommendations for businesses to improve the representation of women on boards and in leadership positions.
Gerry Lianos, Co-founder and CEO of Raffolux said: “Raffolux has a significant female audience. From the start, we’ve believed this means we have a responsibility to include women’s voices in our leadership and decision-making process. I think the huge growth we’ve had since launching in 2020 can be in part put down to the support and advice of our board and particularly Anastasia Roumelioti who has ensured that our largely female audience is considered in all decisions we make.”
Efforts to support gender equality in business have been increasing globally in recent years. As the number of women in senior positions has continued to grow, Raffolux has found that worldwide searches for ‘female CEO’ rocketed by 644% between March 2012 and March 2022.
The UK ranks first in a list of similar countries for increasing its % of women on boards since 2016:
Country |
2016 % |
2021 % |
Change in % |
United Kingdom |
26.60 |
39.10 |
+12.50 |
Canada |
23.60 |
33.70 |
+10.10 |
Netherlands |
25.60 |
35.30 |
+9.70 |
France |
36.40 |
43.80 |
+7.40 |
Germany |
24.80 |
30.50 |
+5.70 |
Belgium |
29.00 |
34.30 |
+5.30 |
Finland |
32.10 |
35.10 |
+3.00 |
Sweden |
35.30 |
36.90 |
+1.60 |
Norway |
38.10 |
38.20 |
+0.10 |
Anastasia Roumelioti, Non-Executive Board Director of Raffolux commented: “It’s encouraging to see the progress being made here in the UK and I look forward to seeing where we will be in a year’s time. As a board director for several companies, I have seen the benefits of having a diverse senior leadership team. Businesses thrive when there is a commitment to gender equality and accommodating a wide range of perspectives. In 2023 narrowing the gender gap should be a priority for every founder.”
With over 100,000 members, Raffolux is the UK’s leading digital raffling platform that helps thousands of lucky Brits to live their dreams every week through its wide range of aspirational prizes. The company is passionate about giving back to good causes and 10% of all net proceeds raised are donated to UK charities. To date, Raffolux has raised over half a million pounds for charity.