Women elusive when it comes to top jobs at central banks

The proportion of women in management at those central banks ranges from 50.9% in Sweden to 3.4% in Japan

Women holding management positions are still a rare breed at some major central banks. While former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen broke new ground as the first female holder of that post, analysis of the world’s most prominent monetary institutions underlines just how unusual her tenure has been in such male-dominated bureaucracies. The proportion of women in management at those central banks ranges from 50.9% in Sweden to 3.4% in Japan -- often significantly below the national female employment rate.

Former US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen gets up from her seat at the conclusion of a news conference in Washington. Yellen was the first woman to lead the world’s most influential central bank. (AP File Photo)