Continental : Share of women in executive positions continues to go up

Hanover, June10, 2014. The 30 DAX companies are well on the way to achieve their voluntary commitment of increasing the share of women in ledership positions. Today the companies concerned are publishing their third status report since the beginning of the initiative in 2011. Despite different starting conditions in the various sectors of industry there continues to be a clear upward trend.

The share of women in executive positions in Germany has risen in nearly all of the participating companies. This means that the companies have made a further step towards the goals they set themselves as part of their voluntary commitment.

Within the space of only three years the 30 DAX companies have clearly increased the share of women in executive positions in Germany. During this period the women's share in leadership positions has on average gone up considerably higher than the general share of women in the overall workforce.

This evidences the sustainable, committed and successful personnel policy of the 30 DAX companies to encourage more women to take up executive positions and also shows the success of the measures taken. Since the basic conditions in the participating companies vary considerably, the objectives differ according to the individual sector, strategic orientation and organizational structure.

The 30 DAX companies continue relying on a voluntary commitment to further push ahead this positive development.

Like last year, the status report is available on the BDA website (Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände / Confederation of German Employers' Associations).

Image download

Background information

On October 17, 2011, in Berlin, the HR Directors of the 30 DAX companies presented a set of binding targets for the purpose of raising the share of women in executive positions. This initiative, unique in Europe, means that the companies concerned assumed a voluntary commitment and set themselves realistic, measurable and transparent targets.

On June 28, 2012 the companies presented their first status report on the share of women in executive positions to the then Federal Minister Kristina Schröder. Since that time the DAX companies report annually and transparently on the respective progress.