2006 Census of Women Executive Officers and Directors

Auburn University's Women's Leadership Institute and the College of Liberal Arts recently released a study of women in leadership positions: 2006 Census of Women Executive Officers and Directors. The study seeks to acknowledge where Alabama is in terms of women in leadership positions as well as focus on areas where further progress is needed. The companies used for this study were selected on the bases of certain criteria: Public ownership, headquartered in Alabama, and non-subsidiary status. Some key findings from the study include:

• Women held 0% of the Fortune500 executive positions.
• Women held 9.90% of the public companies executive officer positions.
• Twenty six of the forty six public companies had no women executives.
• Women held 14.81% of the Fortune 500 board seats.
• Women held 5.49% of the public companies board seats.
• Twenty five companies had no women board members.

For the complete study results, visit http://www.auburn.edu/outreach/womenleaders/.

Commission Awards Grant to Study Issues and Policies Affecting Mothers and Infants

In September the Commission awarded its 2007-2008 research grant to Dr. Carole Zugazaga, Assistant Professor, Auburn University Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work. Dr. Zugazaga and her team will be identifying and analyzing issues and policies affecting mothers and infants birth to age one in Alabama. They will present to the Commission “best practices” in the public and private sector and to determine which of these “best practices” would be reasonable, feasible, and appropriate to implement in Alabama, given the identified needs of women in this state. The Commission will share the results of this study and make any appropriate recommendations to the Governor and Legislature upon the study’s conclusion September 2008.