The discussion about the (nonsense) sense of quotas has been going on for a long time, but according to State Secretary Leroy, quotas have already proven their usefulness. She refers to the 2011 quota law that requires listed companies to consist of one-third of their boards of directors. Since 2008, the share of women on corporate boards has more than quadrupled, from 8 percent to 33 percent. A similar story in parliament: there the number of women rose from 16 percent to more than 40 percent in 2019 after the introduction of quotas on the electoral lists.
Leroy now wants to extend the quota scheme to the management committees. For the time being, only 16 percent of those committees are women. In concrete terms, the expansion should encourage listed companies to make their management committees more balanced by appointing at least a third of members of each gender. The rules in the boards of directors are being tightened to include at least 40 percent of each gender.
“By putting more women on management committees, you bring different ideas and experiences. This is an enrichment for society, for companies and also gives women the opportunity to fully develop in their careers,” says Leroy.
According to the Ecolo politician, companies will have plenty of time to get things in order. Leroy also sees the expansion as a temporary measure “that can be abolished once the glass ceiling is broken.”