WORK: More women in the boardroom

More women are becoming company executives and the pay gap between them and male managers is beginning to close, a report says today. The number of women executives is rising faster than at any time in the past three years, reports the Institute of Management.

A poll showed that the number of women in the boardroom had reached a new peak of 4.5 per cent, up from 3.3 per cent last year. Meanwhile, women directors had pay rises averaging 9.2 per cent last year, compared with 7.8 per cent for men.

The IoM's director general, Roger Young, said: "Women are advancing across the board and organisations are rewarding their efforts. Women have demonstrated their talents, abilities and professionalism for many years, and that is now being tangibly recognised."

The average female director is 40 - eight years younger than the average male director. She earns more than pounds 71,000 - some pounds 20,000 less than her male counterpart - according to the survey of almost 900 directors.