Summary
This factsheet discusses the challenges and strategic approaches to enhancing gender diversity in corporate governance, with focus on cultural impacts and policy interventions.
It explores the persistent challenges and underexplored causes of the low participation rates of women in corporate governance worldwide. Highlighting mixed results from gender quotas, it emphasises the significant role cultural values play in shaping gender diversity on corporate boards. It advocates for an integrative approach that combines government policy, business practice, cultural norms, and professional standards to create sustainable improvements in gender diversity.
This factsheet is published by the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre at The University of Sydney, commissioned by Investing in Women.
Highlights
- The global average of women on corporate boards stands at 14.7%, with cultural values and societal norms significantly influencing these numbers.
- The document notes that countries with more egalitarian attitudes towards gender, such as the Philippines and Singapore, demonstrate higher levels of board diversity compared to others like Indonesia.
- Legislative measures such as gender quotas have shown limited and often unsustainable impacts on improving gender diversity.
- An integrative approach that addresses cultural norms alongside legislative changes is recommended to achieve lasting improvements in gender diversity in corporate governance.
