Gender Inclusion in Corporate Boards: An Indian Perspective

This paper critically analyses the provision of Companies’ Act, 2013 which provides with a mandate of having one woman director on the board of directors of certain classes of companies. The author provides with a detailed reading of the said provision and lists out the benefits and drawbacks of its viability from the point of view of a company. It also focuses on the presence of similar provisions in other countries and compares India’s standing as against the same. Further, the paper examines the major deficiencies of this provision and scrutinizes the reasons behind the object of the provision not being fulfilled. Lastly, the author provides suggestions to tackle the deficiencies of the provision and help reduce gender disparity in the corporate sector by ensuring that women come at par with their male counterparts.