Women’s Business Success Network Signature Policy Endorsed by BC Chamber of Commerce
The Women’s Business Success Network’s signature public policy position, Encouraging and Supporting More Women on Corporate Boards, was adopted and endorsed by the delegates at the 2020 BC Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting on May 22-23. This policy position makes the business case for having more women serve on corporate boards and in leadership positions in private companies, and urges the provincial government and the business community to take bold actions to push gender diversity forward. Read the policy position below or click here.
The predominance of research regarding this issue suggests that companies which have more female board directors perform better, with greater gender diversity on boards being linked to everything from better returns on equity, higher stock prices, to overall better financial returns. The business case for having women on corporate boards is clear and their continued under-representation is likely costing us economically; it should be a priority to encourage and support more women to serve on corporate boards.
The Women’s Business Success Network’s provincial policy calls for education, tools and resources to support gender diversity, but also endorses a requirement that large, publicly-traded companies actively consider at least one women for board vacancies, pushing companies into broadening their searches, getting creative in their recruitment efforts, and going beyond traditional networks to find candidates. This would ensure that women are being considered fairly while still requiring they demonstrate the skill and merit necessary to actually receive a position.
This endorsement by the BC Chamber builds on the support the policy received nationally by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in September 2019.
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