The British public is split on whether gender quotas should be introduced on the boards of leading companies, with a slim majority opposing the suggestion. Perhaps unsurprisingly, women are much more likely to support a quota than men.
- 51% of those asked were against the introduction of gender quotas to ensure that all large companies had a proportion of women on their boards
- 49% supported the idea
- 63% of women support the idea
- While just 34% of men are in favour
The results come as the European Commission considers the introduction of gender quotas, in light of figures showing that only 1 in 10 board members of Europe’s top companies are women. The EU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, Viviane Reding, has referred to mandatory quotas as a ‘last resort’ and has stated she would prefer for companies to readdress the gender imbalance voluntarily instead.
