The share of women on the boards of large and mid-sized public companies fell below 30% in the first quarter, below that threshold for the first time since 2024 and down from a peak of 30.4% a year ago.
In the first three months of this year, women held a total of 29.9% of board seats at Russell 3000 companies. During this period, women gained 138 seats and lost 83 seats, for a net gain of 55 seats. But this was offset by a net gain of 186 male board seats. study The plan was released Tuesday by the organization 5050 Women on Boards in partnership with data provider Equilar Inc.
The decline comes as President Donald Trump and conservative activists come together to end what the president calls “illegal DEI,” programs that benefit one gender or race over another. The presence of women in boardrooms has slowed as companies face pressure to end programs that provide additional support for underrepresented groups.
The recent shift reverses some of the notable gains made by women on corporate boards after the 2017 #MeToo movement drew attention to widespread sexual harassment in the workplace. Companies face pressure from state regulations and investor groups to add more women to their boards. Most of these plans have either been overturned by the courts or withdrawn by investor groups.
The data shows that of the 2,843 companies analyzed, 80 still have no women on their boards, and about 13% have only one woman. About 45% have three or more.
Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.
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