ALMOST no progress has been made over the past decade in getting more women to positions of power, according to the Equality Human Rights Commission Wales Who runs Wales? 2014 report, which examines gender balance in influence roles.

In 2003, the National Assembly had a world-first perfect gender balance of men and women, but that has slipped to 58 per cent men and 42 per cent women. Ten years ago, 56 per cent of the Welsh Government cabinet were women, now it is 27 per cent.

Today only 10 per cent of health boards and trusts have a female head, compared to ten years ago, when 29 per cent of Welsh NHS trust chief executives were women.

Only 27 per cent of Welsh councillors and just nine per cent of council leaders are women. None of the eight Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables in Wales are women.

A survey of 100 top companies in Wales found only two per cent have women chief executives or equivalent.

Kate Bennett, National Director, EHRC Wales said: “Figures highlight failure to ensure corridors of power reflect the diversity of Wales and include under-represented groups. This report is a wake-up call. It’s time for leaders to speed up change.”