Increasing Women's Representation on Corporate Boards: A global inventory of rules

The Market Monitor reviews board gender diversity rules across 193 countries. The Market Monitor provides readers with fresh insights into:

• The global inventory of rules governing women’s representation on corporate boards and provides analysis,
• recommendations to support policymakers in navigating the complexity of board gender diversity regulation, and
• recommendations in designing context-appropriate approaches.

Key findings highlight significant variation in the design and application of board diversity rules across jurisdictions. Mandatory minimum rules were identified in 25 markets, mandatory disclosure requirements in 24 markets, and voluntary frameworks in 16 markets. Rules differ in their legal basis, ranging from legislation to stock exchange rules or non-binding guidance as well as in their structure, scope, and enforcement mechanisms.

This Market Monitor provides additional analysis and recommendations to support policymakers in navigating the complexity of board gender diversity regulation and in designing context-appropriate approaches.

This report was developed by the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges (UN SSE) initiative in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and with the support of the Government of Luxembourg.

This Market Monitor contributes to a joint UN SSE–IFC research programme, undertaken in strategic collaboration with UN Women.

Read the full report here.