The Transfer of Gender Equality Norms from Europe to Asia Through the Spread of Corporate Gender Quotas

Abstract

After Norway introduced a mandatory quota for women on corporate boards, a number of other European countries have followed suit. While the post-financial crisis regulatory reforms contributed to increased focus on getting more women on corporate boards from a business point of view, concerns of gender equality have been simultaneously cited as justification for these laws. In this paper, we examine the potential of corporate quotas to improve gender equality. We then analyse the diffusion of corporate gender quotas from Europe into two countries in Asia – Malaysia and India. We find that market pressures and the push for development along-side goals of promoting gender equality are responsible for the diffusion of these laws into these two Asian countries.