The provincial government said Monday that Crown corporations in Saskatchewan now boast gender parity in their boardrooms.
Crown sector board membership achieved 53 per cent aggregate representation of women in director positions, up from 44 per cent earlier this year. There are 81 directors in total.
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At least half of the board seats in all eight Crown Investments Corporation (CIC) Crown corporations are held by women.
“Women change the tone and dialogue at the boardroom table and enrich discussions that strengthen performance and innovation, expand perspectives and build stronger relationships,” Tina Beaudry-Mellor, the minister responsible for the status of women, said.
“Government strongly supports diversity on boards and will continue to champion inclusion now and in the future.”
Additionally, the first board chair with aboriginal ancestry was appointed.
“These members bring expertise and insight that will only benefit their respective corporations and the sector as a whole,” Crown Investments Minister Joe Hargrave said.
“We value every board member for their diversity in gender, ethnicity, and thought, and their respective contributions and look forward to further gains in the future.”
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The Canadian Securities Administrators reported last month that nationally, women held 18 per cent of board seats in the 215 largest publicly-traded companies, up two per cent from 2015.
CIC is the holding company for Saskatchewan’s commercial Crown corporations that includes SaskTel, SGI and SaskPower.