[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-144335-105":59,"doc-detail-144335-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":124,"head_meta":126,"extra_data":128,"updated_unix":130},105,"en","gender-bender-balancing-diversity-with-qualified-independent-directors-in-india","Gender Bender - Balancing diversity with qualified, independent directors in India","","Mandatory board-level representation for women independent directors is proposed as part of the Companies Bill 2009 for companies with five or more independent directors, aiming to advance gender equality in emerging India. The piece reviews international experiences, weighing Norway’s 40% requirement against concerns raised in the UK about quota-driven “board sitters” and merit-based appointments. It examines demand and supply, noting low current female board participation and the need for clear qualifications and effective selection criteria to improve success rates.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/gender-bender-balancing-diversity-with-qualified-independent-directors-in-india/144335/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/gender-bender-balancing-diversity-with-qualified-independent-directors-in-india/144335.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Felix Montgomery","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-01","2026-08-25",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",11,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What board-level provision does the government propose for women independent directors?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"The proposal requires companies with five or more independent directors to appoint at least one female independent director, as part of the Companies Bill 2009.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"How did Norway’s 2003 law influence women’s representation on company boards?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"Norway’s 40% requirement for women board members was implemented in public and private companies, increasing the number of women directors being inducted.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"Why do some countries oppose or question quota-based board representation?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"Opponents fear quotas may create a class of “board sitters” with little professional output and argue appointments should be made on meritocratic basis with clear qualifications.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},144335,1787699346,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":19,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":130,"read_time":52},549768064778,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","GEnDEr BEnDEr  \nBalancing diversity with qualified, independent directors is the need of the hour for emerging India  \nThe government is propos  \ning to bend the provisions  \nto make way for atleast 1  \nfemale independent director on the board of a company.  \nWomen may have always strived to be at the forefront and to add power to this muscle of theirs, the government is proposing a mandatory provision for companies with 5 or more independent directors to have at least 1 female independent director. This proposal which would  \nbe part of the Companies Bill 2009, is expected to be tabled in the current session of the Parliament.  \nFirst Move  \nBefore gauging the success of this move, it is equally important to look around the world for similar moves. Norway set many minds aflutter when it passed a law in 2003 requiring 40% of all company board members to be women. This provision has been successfully implemented  \nboth in public and privately held companies with a significant number of women directors being inducted. The reservation of seats in Parliament for women faced rough times in India. Moreover ‘women reservation’ issues, be it in Parliament ora boardroom are always considered a disruptive provision and have to pass through the male desks for getting majority—so that has its own challenges. Thus absolute smooth flow without any objection is not  \n For more on India’s IT industry, [visit](visit www.dqindia.com|)[ www.dqindia.com](visit www.dqindia.com|)[|](visit www.dqindia.com|) DATAQUEST | A CyberMedia Publication April 15, 2011 | 77  \n“There definitely is adearth of women in leadership positions today, except perhaps for financial services”  \n—Aruna Jayanthi, chief executive officer, Capgemini India  \nexpected. However, this seems tobe a positive move towards gender equality.  \nAfter Norway it was the turn of France, Spain, and UK. However recently a government minister in UK made a statement that such a move to reserve 40% seats for women as board members would not prove tobe a successful measure. Apart from that even the successive British government has voiced its apprehensions about quotas being the wrong manner to tackle the issue which needs to combated by making appointments on meritocratic basis.  \nThe roots of these apprehensionscan be traced to the reservation policies that were faced with the challenge of being rightfully implemented. The fear expressed in UK is the outcome of a survey in which it  \nThis provision may open new doors of opportunities for women professionals but its success rate is dependent on a number of factors  \nwas found that in Norway and Sweden, some otherwise efficient business women were spending all their time going from one corporate boardroom to another, with very little professional output. This happened after the women reservation law was passed and the corporates struggled to find suitable women candidates. With the passage of time and matu-  \n\n|  |\n| --- |\n| |\n| “But the fear is, the law should not spawn a growing class of professional ‘board sitters’which in Norway is coined as ‘The golden skirts’. Then the whole essence and purpose of the legislation would be lost”\u003Cbr>—Sujata Dev, co-chairperson (Entertainment Committee) Assocham and joint managing director, Third Generation Mobile |\n\nrity, the system is bound to be more efficient and a number of qualified women should be there to fulfil the demand.  \nDemand and Supply  \nIf countries like Norway and Sweden have faced of dearth of talent, will the scenario be different in India? The implementation and the qualifying criteria of selection will be important. The definition of deserving woman candidates for boardroom will be critical. Industry body Assocham, in a study titled ‘Corporate Women: Close the Gender Gap and Dream Big’ reflected that women executives would play a fundamental role in shaping market-leading institutions. However the study said that presently out of 1,112 directorships of 100 companies listed on the Bombay","cbCaih1o0npTity0","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaih1o0npTity0","pdf",199541,"English","# Proposal and rationale\n## Global precedents and concerns\n# Demand, supply, and success factors\n## Qualification criteria and implementation","[{\"question\":\"What board-level provision does the government propose for women independent directors?\",\"answer\":\"The proposal requires companies with five or more independent directors to appoint at least one female independent director, as part of the Companies Bill 2009.\"},{\"question\":\"How did Norway’s 2003 law influence women’s representation on company boards?\",\"answer\":\"Norway’s 40% requirement for women board members was implemented in public and private companies, increasing the number of women directors being inducted.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do some countries oppose or question quota-based board representation?\",\"answer\":\"Opponents fear quotas may create a class of “board sitters” with little professional output and argue appointments should be made on meritocratic basis with clear qualifications.\"}]","Gender Bender - Balancing diversity with qualified, independent directors in India | PDF"]