Gender diversity on corporate boards: a case of india

TLDR: In this paper, the authors examined gender diversity on boards of a sample of 185 companies listed on BSE500 index over a period of six years and presented a status quo and forecasted future representation of women on corporate boards.

Abstract: The study examined gender diversity on boards of a sample of 185 companies listed on BSE500 index over a period of six years. It presented a status quo and forecasted future representation of women on corporate boards. The paper also examined gender diversity with specific reference to the type and number of directorships held by women and the women’s share of Board / Committee chairs and memberships. An extensive literature review on how women directors contribute or can contribute towards the success of the organization was also undertaken in order to present a strong case for having a higher representation of women on boards. The relationship between gender diversity on boards and various characteristics of companies such as the sector, size, profits and age was also established. The study found that on an average 40% of the companies had at least one woman on their board, but in all, women on an average accounted for only 5% of the total number of directorships. It also estimated, ceteris paribus, a 30% and 61% increase in women on boards in the next five and ten years respectively.