Inch by Inch, Row by Row

I am so excited--after a three year hiatus from vegetable gardening, I am finally back in my house and have planted a great vegetable garden!  I put in six tomato plants, including the usual Early Girl, a beefsteak variety, something in purple, a lovely yellow, and a couple of others.  I also have cucumbers started, four varieties of peppers, and a hill of pumpkins.  I definitely have gardening on my mind, and am not (yet) overwhelmed by weeds, bugs, heat, and other things that make gardening a chore.  For another month or so I can just enjoy the anticipation: I'm optimistic that by August, I'll have a bumper crop of vegetables to share.

Speaking of progress an inch at a time: according to Catalyst, women and minorities have barely made progress in holding board seats on Fortune 500 corporate boards in the past six years.  Reporting on a study released last month, they noted:

In the Fortune 100, between 2004 and 2010:

• Men still dominated boardrooms. In 2010 they held 82.0 percent of board seats; in 2004, 83.1 percent.
• White men have actually increased their share of board seats in corporate America—from 71.2 to 72.9 percent. Minorities and women shared the remainder, with very few seats occupied by Asian Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, or minority women in particular. With the exception of African-American men, who lost seats, the percentages have not changed notably since 2004.
• More specifically, African-American women held 2.1 percent of seats; Hispanic women held 0.9 percent; Asian Pacific Islander women held 0.5 percent; African-American men held 4.2 percent; Hispanic men held 3.1 percent; and Asian Pacific Islander men held 1.7 percent
• Although women gained 16 board seats—7 occupied by minority women—the overall 1.1 percentage point increase over 6 years was not appreciable.

• Fortune 500 boards were less diverse than Fortune 100 boards.
• Men held close to 85 percent of all board seats. White men dominated the board room, holding 77.6 percent of board seats. Minority men held 6.8 percent. White women held 12.7 percent. Minority women held 3.0 percent.
• More specifically, African-American women held 1.9 percent of Fortune 500 board seats; Hispanic women held 0.7 percent; Asian Pacific Islander women held 0.3 percent; African-American men held 2.7 percent; Hispanic men held 2.3 percent; and Asian Pacific Islander men held 1.8 percent.
• Approximately one-half of Fortune 500 company boards were composed of 20 percent or fewer women and/or minorities.
• Women and minorities were significantly underrepresented in Fortune 500 board leadership positions. White men held 94.9 percent of board chair positions.
• There was not a single Latina lead director or board chair.
• In 2010, 15 companies achieved broad board diversity: each of the major U.S. Census groups was represented in their boardrooms.

I suppose the philosophical approach is to patiently work the corporate garden inch by inch, row by row.  Those who can till the fields, obviously, predominantly white men, will have to be the ones to do most of the gardening here.  There are certainly many, many qualified women and minorities.  Those current board members and shareholders who have the power and opportunity to nominate board members need to be reminded that women and minorities are ready, willing and able to serve on corporate boards.  The representation of women and minorities on corporate boards is not going to increase dramatically in the next decade, if history tells us anything.  But hopefully we can make it at least another percentage point forward.  Is that asking too much, or too little?