Women are still being shut out of too many boardrooms, with entrenched sexism and a lack of confidence among women themselves contributing to the gap, former World Bank vice president Imrana Jalal says.
Speaking at a Law and Governance Breakfast Seminar on Breaking into the Boardroom, she said Fiji had made some progress, with women’s representation on boards increasing from 19 per cent in 2020 to 29 per cent in 2026.
But she said the progress was undermined by a sharp rise in boards with no women — from 30 per cent in 2020 to 55 per cent this year.
“There are more boards without women now than before,” Ms Jalal said.
She said the reasons women were not getting seats were both structural and personal.
She attributed about half of the problem to what she described as “structural sexism in the workplace”, while the other half was linked to women’s willingness to put themselves forward.
“There is a confidence gender gap.”
Ms Jalal said women were often taught not to advertise their strengths or “show off”, leaving many reluctant to confidently promote themselves for senior positions.
She urged women to stop selling themselves short, prepare thoroughly, speak up, ask questions, and learn to present their achievements confidently without appearing arrogant.
Ms Jalal also stressed that having women in leadership was not simply about meeting gender equality targets.
Global evidence, she said, showed boards with women were more likely to improve profit margins, while other research linked women’s participation in decision-making with greater transparency and less corruption.
“Don’t worry too much about always being popular,”she added, while urging women to embrace the difficult decisions that define effective leadership.
