Scholz labels the low representation of females in numerous business boards as a "reproach of impoverishment."
The current German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has pointed out that there's a worrying lack of female representation in top positions at large corporations within Germany. He made this statement during an event held by the German Association of Female Entrepreneurs in Berlin, where he highlighted the benefits of implementing binding quotas to address this issue. "It's one out of forty - it sounds like a lottery or a bad joke," he said, referring to the number of women in executive roles.
Currently, around 60 companies have a mandatory quota for their boards, and most are meeting these requirements. These quotas, however, only affect a small portion of companies. "For a much larger group of companies, there's the obligation to set a target for their management staff," Scholz noted. Unfortunately, over half of these companies aren't even attempting to meet these targets, with many setting a "zero" for board-level representation.
"This is being justified lately," Scholz remarked, "[but] no one has been stopped from doing this... What a poverty statement." These figures show that having binding quotas in place can make a difference. "We need quotas, and where binding quotas apply, they also work," he emphasized.
Scholz confirmed that the federal government will fulfill its own set targets. According to current plans, they aim to have equal representation of women and men in leadership roles within the federal administration by the end of 2025, with 45% already achieved in mid-2023. "Reaching 50% by the end of next year would send a powerful message and we're doing everything we can to achieve this goal," he added.
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- The proportion of women in executive roles in German companies is concerningly low, as Chancellor Scholz highlighted, with only one woman out of forty holding such positions, which he compared to a lottery or a bad joke.
- The German government is obligated to set targets for gender representation in leadership roles within its administration, but unfortunately, over half of the affected companies haven't even attempted to meet these targets, often setting a "zero" for board-level representation.
- Scholz argued that having binding quotas can make a significant impact, as seen in the 60 companies with mandatory quotas on their boards, most of which are meeting these requirements, contrary to the poor performance of many other companies in this regard.
Source: www.ntv.de
