Yesterday, the Equaliy and Human Rights Comission published its first survey on women in positions of power and influence. The Sex and Power report reveals women hold just 11 per cent of FTSE 100 directorships and only 19.3 per cent of the positions in Parliament.

This year, there are fewer women holding top posts in 12 of the 25 categories for which figures are available - including MPs and cabinet members, health service and local authority chief executives, senior police officers and judges and heads of professional bodies. In another five categories, the number of women remains unchanged since 2007’s index - so there are the same number of female MEPs, top media bosses, directors of leading museums and galleries, chairs of national arts companies and holders of senior ranks in the armed forces. Women’s representation has increased in just eight areas including the House of Lords, FTSE 100 company directors, local authority council leaders and university vice-chancellors.

It says that equality is moving at a snail's pace - that at the current rate of change it will be 200 years before we have equal numbers of male and female MPs, 55 years to equality in the judiciary and 73 until women make up have of FTSE directors. Sounds optimistic to me! Let's not even think about the church. Report in the Guardian here but most papers picked up on it.

photo: suika*2008