Achieve gender equality in decision-making positions by recommendations or quota laws?

European women are advancing towards gender equality step by step. France, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands are at the top of the list of countries which are enhancing women’s leadership by law. After initial criticisms, nowadays Europe agrees in implementing more than sole recommendations.

Imperative quota laws are supported by more and more experts although some employers’ organisations qualify this measure as unnecessary and against meritocracy.

Mrs. Carlos Obeso, director of the Institute for Labour Research of ESADE Business School says: “Although the professional abilities of women are the same as for men, women are not equally represented in the labour market. Therefore, quotas are a regulatory instrument. The opinion that quotas facilitate the access of incompetents to decision-making positions is absolutely ridiculous. At the contrary: quotas guarantee that competent women have access to posts that they deserve.”