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U.S. women are well educated and work in about half of all management and professional jobs. However, Dean Leonard Baynes with the University of Houston Law Center notes they are virtually absent from corporate boards of directors.
"But that may be changing," Baynes said. "California became the first U.S. state to mandate the inclusion of women on corporate boards. Each publicly traded company whose principal executive office is in California must have at least one woman on its board by the end of 2019. By the end of 2021, each must have proportionate representation on the board. Companies will be watching to see how challenges to the law play out."
"Diversity advocates say corporations should reflect the populations they serve," Dean Baynes continued. "Opponents argue that mandates discriminate against men. With European countries already requiring similar mandates, other U.S. states may soon follow California's lead."
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