Gender Quotas and Equity in Corporate Boardrooms: A Legal, Economic, and Social Analysis

Abstract

Adopted by countries like France, Norway, and Germany, gender quotas have been enacted as a measure to ensure equal opportunity for women in the corporate environment. Today, an increasing number of states in America have turned to gender quotas to remediate the inequity present in corporate boardrooms. In 2018, for example, Senate Bill 826 was passed in California to resolve inequitable female boardroom representation amongst public companies, specifically those headquartered in California. On the surface, gender quotas seem to promote equality in the workplace, but a closer analysis reveals that they may be doing more harm for women than good. This paper analyzes the impact of boardroom gender quotas through a legal, economic, and social lens, and addresses the efficacy of these quotas for the future.