Women in boardrooms

November 01, 2012, 12:35 PM GMT+0

Half of the British public and a majority in several European countries oppose law forcing companies to have a minimum number of women in the boardroom.

YouGov’s EuroTrack survey, a multi-country study tracking public opinion in the UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway, reveals that a plurality of people in all the countries surveyed, except for France, are against a law being introduced in their country that would compel companies to have a minimum amount of women on their board of directors.

Opposition to introducing this law is strongest in Denmark at 69%, with less than a fifth (16%) of Danish people supporting a legal minimum number of women in boardrooms.

In Britain, half (50%) of people are against such a law being implemented, while less than a quarter (24%) support it. These figures are similar in Sweden and Norway.

  • 50% of the British public are against a law forcing companies to have a minimum number of women on their board of directors, compared to 24% who support this and 25% who do not know
  • In Sweden, a majority (54%) of people oppose the introduction of this law in their country, with just over a quarter (27%) approving it and 27% of people saying they are unsure of their opinion
  • Over half (54%) of the public in Norway do not agree with a law binding companies to have a minimum amount of women in their boardrooms, while 30% of Norwegian people support this and almost one in six (15%) do not know

Opinion split in Germany and Finland

Compared to Denmark, Britain, Sweden and Norway, public opinion in Germany and Finland is far more divided on this issue.

  • In Germany, 43% of people opposed a legal quota for women in boardrooms and 41% support this
  • 42% of the public in Finland are against introducing this law in their country, while 41% support it

France an exception

The EuroTrack survey also reveals that France is an anomaly, with over six in ten (61%) of its public supporting a law that would force companies to have a minimum number of women on their board of directors. Only 16% of the French public say they oppose this and almost a quarter (23%) are unsure of their opinion.

See the full results of our EuroTrack survey here