France is now requiring that French companies reserve 40 percent of all boardroom posts for women. In a new bill sponsored by President Sarkozy's party, UMP, the move will help increase the percentage of women in boardroom posts from 10 percent to 40 percent.
The original bill attempted to provide a 50-50 gender equality in the boardroom, but was considered unworkable. In the new version, companies will have three years to build the number of women on their boards to 20 percent and then have three more years to get the number up to 40 percent.
The revised bill is already drawing scrutiny from other European countries where several leaders are working on decreasing disparities based on gender issues. In Britain, equalities minister Harriet Harman is keeping a close eye on the situation. She has been working on reducing the gender pay gap and will likely use lessons learned from the French process to help her fight for the Equalities Bill.
France is following the footsteps of Norway which implemented a quota for female representation in the boardroom in 2003, and Spain which introduced something similar in 2007.
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