In Austria, more and more women are on the board of directors: the share of female board members in domestic listed companies has recently risen to a record nine percent. According to an analysis by the consultant EY, things are slowly improving: a year ago the share of women was 7.1 percent, in July 2015 it was only 4.1 percent. But things are still going too slowly for the Greens – they are now demanding a legal quota of 30 percent women on the boardroom floors of publicly traded companies.
Supported by an ongoing study commissioned by the federal government, the coalition partner of the ÖVP criticizes that far too few women make it to the boardroom. Because almost half of all employees are women, but their share in board positions then drops to about nine percent, the ORF reported on Sunday evening. At approximately 32 percent, there are significantly more female members on supervisory boards where this is required by law.
‘Mixed teams more crisis-resistant’
In an interview with “Zeit im Bild”, Elisabeth Götze emphasized that mixed teams have shown that they are “more innovative, more crisis-resistant and the employees happier”. According to the Greens business spokeswoman, this had a positive effect on the company’s economic performance. In connection with the shortage of skilled workers, Götze also spoke of a “very important signal” to women if companies offered them more opportunities.
Although the ÖVP is also interested in giving women and men equal professional opportunities, the question is whether there will be a mandatory quota for women in leadership positions.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
