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U.S. NEWS Monday 1 october 2018

California is 1st state to require women on corporate boards

Continued from Front many are not getting the ta Barbara Democrat said. served by this level of dis- The law applies to compa-
message.” It is one of sev- A fourth of publicly held crimination.” The California nies that report having their
Associated Press eral measures affecting corporations with head- Chamber of Commerce principal executive offices
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) women that Brown signed quarters in California don’t argued that the composi- in California. Companies
— California has become Sunday, his last opportunity have any women on their tion of corporate boards can be fined $100,000 for a
the first state to require to approve or veto laws boards of directors. These should be determined in- first violation and $300,000
publicly traded companies before the term-limited companies have not done ternally, not mandated by for subsequent violations.
to include women on their governor leaves office. He enough to increase the government. The chamber The law also requires com-
boards of directors, one of also approved legislation number of women on their said the new law will priori- panies to report their board
a series of laws boosting requiring smaller employers boards despite the Legisla- tize gender over other as- composition to the Califor-
or protecting women that to provide sexual harass- ture’s urging, making gov- pects of diversity, such as nia secretary of state and
Gov. Jerry Brown signed ment training and banning ernment intervention nec- race and ethnicity. imposes a $100,000 fine if a
Sunday. secret settlements related essary, Jackson said. “It creates a challenge company fails to do so.
The measure requires at to sexual assault and ha- “This is one of the last bas- for a board on achieving Some European countries,
least one female director rassment. tions of total male domina- broader diversity goals,” including Norway and
on the board of each Cali- It comes as the #MeToo tion,” she said. “We know said Jennifer Barrera, senior France, already mandate
fornia-based public corpo- movement against sexual that the public and busi- vice president for policy at that corporate boards in-
ration by the end of next misconduct led to a reck- ness are not being well- the chamber. clude women.q
year. Companies would oning nationwide that has
need up to three female di- ousted men from power.
rectors by the end of 2021, The latest high-profile al-
depending on the number legations are against Su-
of board seats. preme Court nominee Brett
The Democratic governor Kavanaugh, who has de-
referenced the objections nied decades-old claims
and legal concerns that of sexual misconduct from
the law has raised. The Cal- three women.
ifornia Chamber of Com- The author of the Califor-
merce has said the policy nia measure, SB 826, said
will be difficult for compa- she believes having more
nies to implement and vio- women in power could
lates constitutional prohibi- help reduce sexual assault
tions against discrimination. and harassment in the
“I don’t minimize the po- workplace.
tential flaws that indeed Having more women on
may prove fatal to its ul- corporate boards also will
timate implementation,” make companies more
Brown wrote in a signing successful, state Sen. Han-
statement. “Nevertheless, nah-Beth Jackson said.
recent events in Washing- Women tend to be more
ton, D.C. — and beyond collaborative and are bet-
— make it crystal clear that ter at multitasking, the San-