The Association of British Insurers has welcomed progress on its diversity, equity and inclusion blueprint for the industry. 

The proportions of women and people with ethnic minority backgrounds in director-level positions have risen to 36% and 9%, respectively. But the ABI says “more action” is needed to address ethnic minority representation at board level, following a decrease from 11% in 2023 to 8%.

The peak body says each association member offers some form of flexible working, and 46% provide “returnship programs” for workers coming back from extended leave.

Backing for surrogacy programs has grown, with 66% of association members providing some form of support last year – up from 29% in 2019.

About 69% of insurers offer assistance programs for people undergoing IVF treatment, compared with 32% in 2019.

The ABI says its progress comes amid a “rapidly shifting” local and global landscape on DEI. 

Association DEI and customer outcomes manager Liisa Antola says it is “vital that our workforce reflects the diverse communities we serve. From better support for working parents to stronger engagement with the incoming workforce, this report shows encouraging progress, and we look forward to building on this further.”

See the ABI update here.