logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2019
28m 4s

Boardroom quotas for women

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Are mandatory quotas desirable or necessary to ensure more diversity in our company boardrooms? The Netherlands has just passed a law obliging listed companies to have 30% of their non-executive boards made up of women and California has till the end of the year to ensure at least one woman is on the board of its public companies. But that law is being challenged, and quotas elsewhere have had mixed success. So why bother? Manuela Saragosa and guests Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe, founder and president of WISER Policy, attorney with Pacific Legal Foundation Anastasia Boden, Tamara Box, managing partner at Reed Smith and founding member of the 30% Club and former EU digital commissioner Neelie Kroes discuss the pros and cons of mandatory quotas for female equality in the corporate world.

(Image: three business women: Image credit: Getty Images)

Up next
Dec 2019
Brexit, trade and Trump
What are the political and economic factors to watch in 2020? Will the trade wars continue, will Brexit get done and who will be the next US president? Ed Butler is joined by economists Professor Meredith Crowley, Reader in International Economics, University of Cambridge; Guntra ... Show More
26m 28s
Dec 2019
Mental health at work
What is best practice for employers dealing with mental health problems at work? The World Health Organisation estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy about one trillion dollars a year in lost productivity. About half of all workers suffer from poor mental h ... Show More
26m 29s
Nov 2019
Regulating political chatter
Can we trust the political adverts in our news feeds? Who is sending them, why are we being targeted and are they even true? This week we're looking at the thorny issue of political advertising on social media. Is regulation needed to ensure fair and trustworthy election campaign ... Show More
27m 41s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
Women in law
In many countries around the world more women than men take law degrees but they're still much less likely to make partner or become a judge. Kim Chakenetsa talks to two lawyers from Egypt and the UK about the discrimination they face and the need for a more diverse legal profess ... Show More
26m 59s
Nov 2023
Women in Finance: How diversity provides a competitive advantage
Following the Women in Finance Summit and Awards 2023, we’re catching up with some of the leading women in the financial services space. In this episode, we chat to Rebecca Warren, executive general manager of small-business banking at CommBank, about how she navigated a historic ... Show More
20m 15s
Nov 2023
Women in Finance: How diversity provides a competitive advantage
Following the Women in Finance Summit and Awards 2023, we’re catching up with some of the leading women in the financial services space. In this episode, we chat to Rebecca Warren, executive general manager of small-business banking at CommBank, about how she navigated a historic ... Show More
20m 15s
Mar 2021
LinkedIn data on women's careers
An ‘entitlement gap’ between men and women in the UAE – a feeling of not being as deserving as men when it comes to pay rises, promotions and career progression – remains a hurdle in workplaces, according to a new survey from LinkedIn.  To discuss the impact of this phenomenon, t ... Show More
17m 21s
May 2022
Female digital entrepreneurs in Africa
During the pandemic businesses shut down and traditional jobs were lost forcing people to rethink how they earn a living. Since then one of the biggest shifts in the economy has been the rise of digital platforms – online market places which sell everything from fruit and veg to ... Show More
18m 47s
Nov 2022
Women in business in Qatar
How easy is it for a woman to start and run a business in Qatar? In the past few years, there have been changes to the constitution and laws which have made it easier for women to work and run businesses. We ask whether that’s filtered down to 'street level' or whether cultural c ... Show More
18m 19s
Oct 2020
Sexism
Are you experiencing gender bias at work? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Katie Coffman, a professor at Harvard Business School. They talk through what to do when you are held to a higher standard as a female manager, you’ve been promoted but a male deputy h ... Show More
34m 57s
Sep 2022
Should we be more open about salaries?
Salaries are often kept secret in most workplaces - but times are changing.The BBC’s Deborah Weitzmann discusses implications for pay transparency policies and the gender wage gap.Deborah visits Flash Pack, a travel firm in London where staff members are open about their salaries ... Show More
18m 55s
Nov 2020
Has Anything Changed for Black Women at Work?
This year many companies made public commitments to fight racism in their workplaces. But what progress have these organizations made in the six months since the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black people furthered efforts toward racial justice? An ... Show More
54m 41s