The United Nations' theme for International Women's Day is "Women in Leadership: Creating an Inclusive Future in a Covid-19 World," a celebration of global progress toward equal representation of women in leadership roles.
Women's leadership in the Pacific has focused on women's political participation, which is among the lowest in the world at just 7%.
However, data gathered for a new research project paints a more promising image for the private sector, where the region is making significant strides toward fair representation.
According to preliminary data collected as part of the Asian Development Bank's Pacific private sector development initiative's ongoing research into Pacific women's leadership in the industry, the Pacific compares favourably to global levels across several measures of leadership.
Women's presence on boards and in senior management roles in over 200 Pacific private sector organizations is measured in this report.
Although there are major variations between countries and industries, the average proportion of women on boards in the Pacific region is 22%, which is higher than the global average of 17%.
Some industries are doing better than others.
Women make up 24% of board members in financial and ICT organizations, and 31% of board members in industry associations (such as tourism associations).
Women make up more than 30% of board members in the Cook Islands, Palau, and Samoa.
In the organizations surveyed, women hold 30% of senior management positions, which is in line with the global average. Over 30% of senior management roles in the Cook Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu were held by women.
The companies listed on the South Pacific stock exchange have made considerable progress.
