EU Wants Women to Have 40% Share on Company Boards

Sept. 5, 2012
The European Commission wants women to have at least 40% representation on the boards of listed companies, but the plan has reportedly run into opposition from some EU member states.

The European Commission wants women to have at least 40% representation on the boards of listed companies, but the plan has reportedly run into opposition from some EU member states.

A draft commission directive seen Wednesday envisages that women, long a rarity at the corporate high table and outnumbered there roughly seven to one by men according to the EU, should play a much bigger role.

European Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding challenged listed company heads last year to commit to a program by March 2012 under which women would have 30% of board seats by 2015 and 40% by 2020.

The draft noted that the current "under-utilization of highly qualified women's skills constitutes for the EU a loss of economic growth potential."

"The business case for more gender diversity on boards is widely recognized among stakeholders," it added.

A Financial Times report Wednesday said Great Britain opposes the plan, arguing that such issues are best left to national governments.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2012

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

The Benefits of Continuous Thermal Monitoring

Oct. 17, 2023
Read this eBook to learn more about collecting and using data intelligently to improve performance.

Why DataOps may be the key to unlocking the full potential of digital transformation

Nov. 3, 2023
Read the 2023 market survey conducted by IndustryWeek

How Manufacturers Can Optimize Operations with Weather Intelligence

Nov. 2, 2023
The bad news? Severe weather has emerged as one of the biggest threats to continuity and safety in manufacturing. The good news? The intelligence solutions that build weather ...

Discrete and Process Manufacturing 2024 Trends and Outlook for North America

Oct. 29, 2023
Manufacturers are reaping the benefits of automation and cloud-based solutions. Discover what is driving today's industry trends and how they can shape your growth priorities ...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!