Quota reference points: the “Critical Mass”

There are three reference points which are considered in determining optimum gender balance, percentage of women in the population,percentage of women in the labour force, and percentage of women on government boards. The author believes that the last reference point (Percentage of women on government boards) can be misleading in some jurisdictions where women have always been under-represented. This is because research has also found cultural norms to correlate with female participation in non-executive positions. In Zimbabwe for instance, a new constitution was adopted in 2013 which now recognises the rights of men and women to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres.

The new constitution guarantees the right to equal pay and voids all laws, customs, traditions and cultural practices that infringe on the rights of women. The government adopted a women quota system for its legislature which saw women’s representation in the Zimbabwe Parliament shooting up from 19% to 34% in the 2013 elections. Before the new constitution’s women quotas, Zimbabwe was previously ranked 116 out of 148 on the Gender Index. Women quotas in politics have also been introduced in many countries and it remains to be seen how these will impact on women.

In most jurisdictions “the right gender balance” is denoted by a minimum of 40% representation of each sex, which can be achieved by either voluntary or mandatory means. Arbitrary percentage may also be argued to provide “the right gender balance”. Differences in regulations across countries are the single most important factor that explains the differences in board gender diversity across countries.