Manifesto for a Quota

The number of women on Boards in The Netherlands is much too low and has been for many years. Without intervention this will not change.  This document argues for a legal quota of 40% women on non-executive Boards, to be achieved over the next 5 years, so that a much larger percentage of the top women can contribute to improved performance of businesses and other organisations.

Over the last ten years the percentage of women in top positions in The Netherlands has not risen above 6%. Despite many governmental and private sector initiatives: charters, voluntary targets, task forces, awareness workshops and the like, nothing has been able to bring about a substantial or permanent change in this area. The most optimistic estimates show that at the current rate the percentage of women in top positions in Europe will reach 12% in the year 2035.  Without drastic measures the possible contribution of the next generation of women will also be marginalized.

Waiting hasn’t worked

Women have waited their turn for top positions with optimism, dedication and self reflection, with patience and confidence in the wisdom of organisations. We have eschewed discrimination and continues to believe that diversity shouldn’t be forced. We hoped that companies would act responsibly and for the common good. We thought that the often quoted remedy ‘time and patience’ was necessary for changes in promotion processes. We expected that it was inevitable that a proportionate number of women would eventually be appointed to leadership positions.

Time and patience haven’t worked. For women time and patience have run out.
Our expectations have not been realised: organisations that committed to increase the share of women in top management have largely not kept their word.

Women want to live and work in societies where men and women are not only equal, but accepted and respected for their different qualities and aptitudes. Where it is recognised by everyone that although men and women have different ways of achieving results, that these are always better when there is a mix of masculine and feminine styles and approaches. Where the qualities of connectedness, intuition, empathy and sensitivity will be considered as important as rationality, outward focus, aggressiveness and competitiveness.

Diversity has been proven to be a driver of increased success. In addition, more women in the top will be the role models for the next generation, allowing them break through the barriers of stereotypes and outdated attitudes.

What we are asking for is very much in the realm of the possible. Similar legislation, enacted in Norway in 2006, resulted in 45% women on Boards within a three years’ period. The consensus is that these organisations and Norway have benefitted from the quota.

It is a well known fact that there must be a critical mass of women in top positions to ensure that gender diversity is effective. We are convinced that if the mix of men and women in top management is 60-40%, both male and female qualities will be better utilized. Organisations will function and perform better than they do at present, and society as a whole will be more balanced and more fair.

This is why we are now calling for legislation that will require a quota of 40% women in non-executive Board positions to be implemented within 5 years (by 2014). This would be required for all listed companies and governmental and semi governmental organizations.

The implementation of the quota will increase the visibility of top women. As their participation on Boards becomes the norm,  appointments to other top positions will become more balanced.

Women are not the problem, they are the solution*

In this Manifesto, we also want clear away some of the gross misconceptions that are always put forward in gender diversity debates:

• “Women are not ambitious”
  Just as not all men are sufficiently ambitious to reach top positions, by the same token not all women are interested in climbing the (corporate) ladder. But in The Netherlands there are at least 6000 women who do have this ambition and drive and who are eminently qualified to step into those positions within a short time frame.
   
• “Women are not (yet) as qualified”
  Untrue; there are eminently qualified, experienced women in every sector and in every function. The fact that they are not seen and/or recognised as such is a matter of a blind spot with the observers; a problem that quota will quickly help to rectify.
   
• “Women don’t want to be appointed on the basis of their gender”
  Qualified women are conscious and proud of their strengths and capabilities and will welcome the chance to step up to leadership responsibility.
   
• “A quota will mean making concessions to quality”
  No. Women also support the idea of ‘the best candidate for the position’. But appointments should be made by a diverse group of people who recognise female leadership qualities and who can determine what ‘best’ is in the broader context of any given situation.  
   
• “Women with sufficient talent will rise to the top of their own accord”
  If the current selection processes are changed, then more talented women will be considered for top appointments.
   
•  “A quota for women on Boards will mean that men will have to be fired”  
  Not necessarily. If the current Governance Codes were to be implemented as written, there would be room for considerably more women on Boards.

Quota legislation is indispensible

The need for women in top positions is a societal and moral issue, part of the responsibility revolution currently beginning to change our thinking. With the political agenda focused on resolving the economic crisis, it is the duty of politicians, managers, labour union leaders and shareholders to use every measure that will contribute to substantial improvement in the performance of organisations and society as a whole. During this time of transformation the participation and role of women is indispensible.

As Einstein once remarked: “You cannot solve problems with the same mindset which created them”.

A quota for women on Boards is essential.

Signed by more than 200 women in top positions in The Netherlands.

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