The GovernanceMetrics International’s 2013 GMI Ratings Women on Boards survey indicate that increases in female representation on boards continue to be slow. The survey included data from nearly 6,000 companies in 45 countries worldwide. Up 0.5 percent since 2012’s survey, women now hold 11 percent of the board seats at the world’s largest and well-known companies. In the US, the percentage of female directors rose less than 2 percent since 2009. Generally, larger US companies have more diverse boards – currently, 16.9 percent of S&P 500 directors are women. However, the survey indicates women are being added to boards of smaller companies at a faster rate than their large-cap competitors. Additionally, the number of female board chairs remains abysmal. Only 3 percent of S&P 500 companies are women. Leading the globe on gender-diverse board is Europe, where legal requirements for women’s representation are present. More than half of the women director positions newly held in 2013, compared to 2009, serve at European companies. For a copy of the full report, click here.