Bermuda was yesterday ranked 12th for women in management positions in a worldwide survey of 108 countries.

The report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said the Island said women occupied 43.5 per cent of middle and senior management positions, according to 2010 figures — ahead of the Caymans, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago.

But the study warned that women were still massively under-represented in boardrooms, with only a handful of countries reporting boards with 20 per cent or more representation of women.

The list was topped by Jamaica, with 59.3 per cent of management positions occupied by women, followed by Colombia on 53.1 per cent and St Lucia with 52.3 per cent.

Keith Jensen, president of the Bermuda Employers’ Council, said that the Island’s historically strong labour market — with close to full employment — had driven demand for good employees, which was an advantage compared to other countries.

He added: “I think it’s great that Bermuda has been able to do this.

He added: “Bermuda also has an advantage because of our small size — people don’t have to go very far in Bermuda to be more upwardly mobile. In larger countries, it may mean uprooting families and moving to another part of the country.”

And he pointed out that small Caribbean countries were well represented in the upper levels of the table.

Mr Jensen added that legislation in Bermuda, including human rights laws banning gender discrimination, good educational opportunities and paid maternity leave could all also play a part in Bermuda’s strong showing.

He said: “Women have always been well-represented in Bermuda’s workforce, possibly due to economic necessity.”

Mr Jensen added: “In this day and age, everyone is competing for jobs — generally speaking those who have the best ability, potential and talent are the ones who will be hired and promoted.

“Giving people the opportunity is the key and after that it’s up to them to succeed as best they can.”

Mr Jensen said that good childcare facilities for working mothers also existed close to workplaces, with some companies providing in-house support for working moms, while the Island had a tradition of family support from relatives likes grandparents in looking after children.

And he added: “There is an open-door policy in terms of woman — and men — obtaining scholarships for further education.

“Men’s old-fashioned attitudes about women being breadwinners have had to be dealt with. Men have had to adjust to women earning as much, or more, than they do.”

The ILO said that the percentage of women in senior jobs had steadily increased over the last 20 years, with 80 of the 108 countries in the survey showing a jump in women executives over the period.

But the report said women were still under-represented at the pinnacle of companies around the world, with only five per cent or less of CEOs of the world’s largest firms being women.

The ILO’s Deborah France-Massin said: “It is critical for more women to reach senior management positions in strategic areas to build a pool of potential candidates for top jobs such as CEO or company presidents.

“However, glass walls still exist, with the concentration of women in certain types of management functions, like human resources, communications and administration.”

The ILO report said that women now manage or own 30 per cent of all businesses — but that they are more likely to be found running small enterprises.

It added: “An increasing number of studies are also demonstrating positive links between women’s participation in top decision-making teams and structures and business performance.

“But there is a long way to go before we achieve true gender equality in the workforce, especially when it comes to top management positions.”

And the report called on national employers’ organisations to take a bigger role in promoting awareness of the business case for women in top management.

Ms France-Massin said: “Unless action is taken, it could take 100 to 200 years to achieve parity at the top.

“It is time to smash the glass ceiling for good to avoid controversial mandatory quotas that are not always necessary or effective. Having women in top positions is simply good for business.”