Turning Exceptions into the Rule: Bridging the Gender Gap in Corporate Boardrooms and the C-Suites of Canadian Corporations

Abstract

This paper contextualizes the under-representation of women on the boards and in the executive suites of publicly-listed Canadian corporations by reviewing recent studies and statistics on the subject, dispelling traditional justifications for the gender imbalance and critically examining commonly proposed strategies to bridge the gap between policy and reality. Unfortunately, the current “comply or explain” regime was found to be ineffective. The author recommends that the provincial securities regulators band together to institute a mandatory quota system.