ABSTRACT
This chapter explores this relatively new objective of corporate governance regulation: to encourage more women into corporate leadership. It explores the likely effectiveness of including gender-diversity provisions in codes of corporate governance and the mechanisms through which they might encourage change. Table 6.1 provides extracts of code provisions referring to diversity in a sample of countries worldwide. There is wide variety in the content of these provisions: some simply state that diversity should be considered when determining board composition; others set targets (40 percent in the French code and 50 percent
in the Swedish code) or ask companies to set and disclose their own targets. In each case it is important to understand the wider context of the code in terms of national law and policy. In the UK, code provisions have become more detailed over time, but this is because there is no hard law on the topic. As a contrast, code provisions on gender diversity in Denmark and Spain have become weaker due to an overall strengthening of regulation through the introduction of legislation. In Australia, code provisions operate in parallel with equal opportunity legislation, which, since 2012, has required corporate reporting of gender-diversity information.
