The pandemic and the last 18 months have completely changed business relations and taught us to multitask. One thing has not changed. The number of female CEOs and board members of Polish companies is gradually increasing. Although perhaps not as quickly as everyone open to change would like.

According to data from InfoCredit, an analytical company and the oldest Polish business intelligence agency (managed for over 30 years by its founder – Iwona Surdykowska-Huk), in May this year, women held over 30% of board positions in Polish companies. This is a significant increase since 2017, when it was 24.4%. The greatest increase has been recorded in recent years. In the spring of 2019, women held 24.7% of board positions, in 2020 it was already 28.6%, and currently 30.3%.

– It is clear that the glass ceilings are gradually crumbling year by year. Women are becoming more and more brave, increasingly willing to start their own businesses and occupy top management positions. Company shareholders also increasingly appreciate their competences and see that business has no gender. The trend is clear, although it is clear that at this rate we will have to wait a long time to achieve balance in Polish business – says Jerzy Wonka, InfoCredit’s development director.

The pandemic has not changed this trend. – This is very good. Women have adapted to the new reality very well, although it was not easy for all of us. Especially in families, where we had to reorganize the work system, take care of relationships not only in business, but above all at home. And additionally cope with the remote learning system of children – adds Jerzy Wonka.

How do these data look in comparison to Europe? There is still a lot to do here. In the European Union, women already hold 37% of positions on boards. The highest number in Ireland (63%), Finland (59%), Portugal (53%) and Sweden (50%). The smallest numbers are in Denmark and Lithuania (22%), Greece (23%) and Malta (24%).

Women are also gradually increasing their number in the positions of CEOs of Polish companies, although this is happening more slowly. In 2017, they made up 19.2%, in May this year 22.5%, and the largest increase occurred in the spring of 2018 (to 21.4%).

Geography does not tell the whole story

It would seem that the largest number of women in management boards is in Mazovia. Large cities, including Warsaw, are usually the most open. They also offer the largest number of business opportunities, because that is where the largest number of businesses are registered. However, we forget that Warsaw is an enclave in this respect and does not reflect what is happening in the entire province. Mazovia is at the… bottom of the regional rankings of women in business in terms of the percentage share of management boards (29%). Although there are definitely the largest number of women in management boards in Poland, because they occupy 90,596 such positions. Men as many as 225,342. However, the largest number of businesses in Poland has definitely been registered in Mazovia.

Women have the largest share in the boards of Polish companies in the following provinces: Warmińsko-Mazurskie (35 percent, 10,651 women, 19,709 men), Łódzkie (34 percent, 21,128 women vs. 41,901 men), Lubuskie (32 percent, 8,158 women, 17,043 men) and Zachodniopomorskie (32 percent, 14,962 women and 31,287 men). The smallest, apart from Mazovia, in Podkarpackie (29 percent, 13,808 women, 33,320 men) and Wielkopolskie (29 percent, 35,032 women, 84,602 men).

Share according to PKD

We also checked the division of positions in the boards of Polish companies according to PKD. The highest percentage of women is in the category of social assistance without accommodation (60%), legal, accounting and tax consultancy (51%) and other individual service activities (50%). The lowest in the category of hard coal and lignite mining (13%), metal ore mining (12%) and … public administration and national defense; mandatory social security (6%).