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Women?s board quotas: liberating or patronising?

Debates are in full swing in the run up to an EU decision that will be made on whether corporate boards should have a quota for how many women are given a seat.

Proposals have been put forward to demand that 40% of boardroom seats are taken by women, after a notable lack of female candidates were put forward for the European Central Bank board.

EU Justice Secretary Viviane Reding has put her support behind the changes, however some countries, including the UK, are reportedly against the 40% quota, and the measures are likely to be blocked.

These proposals have raised a number of questions. Is the lack of women on boards a result of down right sexism? Or is it a result of the lifestyle choices many women make, and are fully entitled to make?

Is the “positive discrimination” tactic liberating, or patronising? And is it the case that other measures, such as improvements to paternity leave rights, could give women a fairer representation in the boardroom?

Liz Field, CEO of Financial Skills Partnership said, “Boardroom diversity can bring any business vast benefits. However, just fulfilling quotas doesn’t address the core issues that prevent women from reaching top positions.

“There is a concerted effort in the finance industry to introduce diversity in the boardroom, nonetheless more emphasis should be placed on sustaining the momentum if we are to reach the 40% mark which the commission wants. More needs to be done to craft a culture where talent is nurtured, otherwise when this current generation of females retire there will be a gap in the market.”

“Plans need to be implemented as soon as possible to insure that companies are not forced to put women on boards but appoint them because they have cultivated their talent. Long term plans of tailor-made development programmes, mentoring schemes and female business networks are good steps towards fostering a good diversity attitude in the workplace.”

We’d love to hear your views on this issue, so please comment below to have your say.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .