Explainer: Von der Leyen's push for more women in boardrooms
Remember this awkward moment?
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was relegated to the sofa…
while European Council President Charles Michel and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan took the only available seats.
It was a snub rooted in sexism, she said.
"Would this have happened if I had worn a suit and a tie?
Now, von der Leyen is making a renewed push at boosting women's representation on company boards,
by working to unblock European legislation for a women's quota that has been stuck since 2012.
Let's take a look at the proposed legislation and the state of play in the bloc regarding gender balance in top corporate positions.
So, what’s the proposed legislation?
Back in 2012, the European Union's executive proposed that listed companies with more than 250 employees must fill at least 40% of non-executive board seats with women.
The target would be reached by giving priority to the candidate of the under-represented sex when equally qualified people apply for the same job.
Companies missing the quota would have to explain why…and spell out what steps they will take to meet the target.
The proposed directive would affect some 2,300 companies in the EU, according to estimates.
The EU lead by example in 2019 when Von der Leyen bagged the top job
and France's Christine Lagarde became President of the European Central Bank.
(Donald Tusk) "We have chosen two women and two men for the four key positions - a perfect gender balance. I'm really happy about it. After all, Europe is a woman."
But what’s been holding up the legislation?
A majority of 18 of the 27 EU countries support the directive.
But that is not enough for the super majority needed for approval.
Denmark, Estonia, Croatia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Slovakia
have opposed the legislation, arguing the issue should be regulated at a national level.
Under former Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany also sided with this group,
but the new government says it will take a fresh look.
Should Berlin drop its opposition, it would tip the balance in favor of the legislation, experts say.
What’s the state of play now?
So far, eight EU countries have adopted national mandatory gender quotas for listed companies
Ten have taken a softer approach, using a range of measures and initiatives.
(Sanna Marin, Finnish Prime Minister) "No, I don't feel like a role model. I might be for some people, but we are all just human beings.’’
And nine countries have not taken substantial action.
France is the frontrunner, with the strongest representation of women in the boardrooms of the biggest listed companies at 45.3%..against a 30.6% average for the EU as a whole.
That's according to the European Institute for Gender Equality.
相關影片推薦
- 1:26女長期睡機場又大鬧國門 不聽勸阻遭警驅離東森新聞影音276,285 次觀看・1 天前
- 布林肯訪中 為拜登大選鋪路?說一套做一套 美中競爭能管控?【風向龍鳳配 】風向龍鳳配142,343 次觀看・1 週前
- 1:56新北議會衝突!陳明義兒2022選同區 早與蔣根煌結樑子民視影音98,935 次觀看・2 天前
- 1:26婚後婆媳相處狀況曝光 林志玲:我是灰姑娘|#鏡新聞鏡新聞72,666 次觀看・1 天前
- 1:582024環球小姐取消年齡上限 阿根廷60歲佳麗驚歎出線 爭取為國爭光Yahoo奇摩(國際通)13,457 次觀看・5 小時前
- 1:09《淚之女王》即將大結局!預告搶先看 金秀賢一句話讓金智媛瞬間愣住了娛樂星聞5,604 次觀看・20 小時前
- 2:44北京電動車展登場 中國品牌「內卷」大戰 117款新車首度亮相Yahoo奇摩(國際通)8,143 次觀看・5 小時前
- 1:50背刺青「要器捐」 老兵捐心.肝.腎 助4患者TVBS新聞網影音36,303 次觀看・1 天前
- 1:446歲女童站機車踏板出門 車禍釀脾臟破裂內出血|#鏡新聞鏡新聞36,214 次觀看・21 小時前
熱門必看
- 12:45心理測驗:你愛上同性的機率?唐老師一時口誤節目差點變18禁!?Ep.215-2唐綺陽談星室29,152 次觀看・3 天前
- 14:25昏暗老公寓化身質感美宅 空間感、採光起死回生簡直魔法Yahoo創作摩人5,757 次觀看・1 天前
- 0:18傳承老一輩甜品作法,最純粹的美味!板橋Edenx食旅20,847 次觀看・3 天前
- 16:22『橫濱一日遊』帥爆!見鋼彈最後一面!人也排到爆的橫濱家系拉麵!生日圓夢之旅最終章!戴妮塔 Nita & Dai's Daily3,755 次觀看・10 小時前
- 31:57【日本自由行】大阪→廣島5天4夜完整攻略🤩萬博紀念公園、姬路城、嚴島神社、和平紀念公園、廣島紙鶴塔、岡山倉敷美觀、大倉酒店、八天堂|日本旅遊・Japan 4K vlog吉田社長交朋友13,969 次觀看・4 天前