WOMEN are still being shut out of the country’s boardrooms and positions of power.

That is the stark, if unsurprising finding of a new report, launched to celebrate 100 years of International Women’s Day.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission report looks at 10 areas of Welsh life, including politics, local government, health and the private sector in order to assess the gender balance around the country’s decision-making tables.

The Who Runs Wales report found that:

There are only two women chief executives of the 50 top Welsh companies.

Just one of the 22 council leaders is a woman.

Only 26% of secondary school headteachers are women despite 75% of all teachers being women.

A mere 23% of local government chief executives are women, despite 68% of local authority workers being women.

“If those making the decisions are drawn from a narrow section of society, most people’s needs will be overlooked.

“Our report highlights the need for political and business leaders to find the best way to take advantage of the full talent pool in Wales.

“Good intentions are not enough – this issue is too important to be left to chance. It is the responsibility of leaders to get more women to the top tables in Wales.”

The National Assembly has a healthy gender balance, with 48% women.

But it is inevitable this percentage will drop significantly at the May election, she added.

The report finds some areas of progress. Cheryl Gillan is Wales’ first female Secretary of State. Kirsty Williams is the first female party leader at the National Assembly. Julie Lydon of the University of Glamorgan is Wales’ first female vice-chancellor and April McMahon will soon become the second, at Aberystwyth University.