Representation of Women on the Board of Directors under the Companies Act, 2013

Authors

  • Tadwalkar Vaibhavi Second year, BA LLB, National Law Institute University, Bhopal
  • Vedula Lahari Soundarya Second year, BA LLB, National Law Institute University, Bhopal;

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12728/culj.6.2

Abstract

In this article, the researcher examines the significant provisions that are incorporated into the Companies Act of 2013 to deal with the conventional underrepresentation of women in the corporate arena. The researcher conducts an in depth study of the proviso to section 149(1) of Companies Act of 2013 which mandates the inclusion of atleast one woman director on the Board of Directors and its relevance in ensuring fair standards of corporate governance in every prescribed class of companies. This paper also demonstrates the need for this provision by analysing the position enjoyed by women under the erstwhile legislation i.e. Companies Act, 1956 and by examining the similar legislations enforced in other jurisdictions. Conclusions have been derived from statistical studies in this regard. The reader is also appraised of the effects of non compliance to this provision and the possibilities of its abuse before concluding that the aforementioned law is a prudent parliamentary intervention to enhance the contribution of women towards the development of the country.

Author Biographies

Tadwalkar Vaibhavi, Second year, BA LLB, National Law Institute University, Bhopal

Second year, BA LLB, National Law Institute University, Bhopal

Vedula Lahari Soundarya, Second year, BA LLB, National Law Institute University, Bhopal;

Second year, BA LLB, National Law Institute University, Bhopal;

References

H.L. KAILA, WOMEN, WORK AND FAMILY (Rawat Publications 1st ed. 2005).

Id.

WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP: THE STATE OF PLAY AND STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE (Deborah L. Rhode & Barbara Kellerman eds., Jossey-Bass, 1st ed. 2007).

Kalpana Bardhan, Women: Work, Welfare and Status. Forces of Tradition and Change in India,20(50) ECONPOLITWKLY, 2207-2220 (Dec. 14, 1985).

National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India and Ors. (2014) 5 S.C.C. 538, available at http://supremecourtofindia.nic.in/outtoday/wc40012.pdf , 19 (2014).

Dr. E. Raju, Gender Discrimination in India, 2(5) IOSR J. E. F. 55, 55-65 (2014).

Siri Terjesen, Ruth Sealy & Val Singh, Women Directors on Corporate Boards: A Review and Research Agenda, 17(3) CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: AN INTERNATIONAL REVIEW,320-337, (2009).

David A. Matsa & Amalia R. Miller, A Female Style in Corporate Leadership? Evidence from Quotas, 5(3) AM. ECON. J. APPL. ECON.136-169 (Jul. 2013),available at https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CDMQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iza.org%2Fconference_files%2FLeadership_2012%2Fmiller_a7875.pdf&ei=o5uuVJa1M8uSuATrl4CABA&usg=AFQjCNGXWdYFfX5z79wg2eytCj73EO-6IQ.

Deepika Nath, Gently Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Experiences of Indian Women Managers, 15(1) WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT REVIEW, 44-52 (2000), available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/09649420010310191.

World Economic Forum, The Global Gender Gap Report, 2013, http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2013.pdf (last visited on Jan. 07, 2015).

KAILA, supra note 1.

A. RAMAIYA, A.RAMAIYA’S GUIDE TO THE COMPANIES ACT (LexisNexis Butterworths 17th ed. 2010).

The Companies Act, 2013, § 149 (1).

The Companies (Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Amendment Rules, 2014, available at http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/pdf/NCA_Rules_18092014.pdf (last visited on Jan. 08, 2015).

Robert Jensen, Beyond Race, Gender, and Class: Reclaiming the Radical Roots of Social Justice Movements, 12(2) GLOBAL DIALOGUE 1 (2010), available at http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~rjensen/freelance/beyondracegenderandclass.htm.

Vishaka & Ors. v. State of Rajasthan & Ors., A.I.R. 1997 S.C. 3011, 3016.

Id.

The Sexual Harassment of Women (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 §§ 4(2)(a) & 4(2)(c) proviso.

David A. Cotter, Joan M.Hermsen, Seth Ovadia& Reeve Vanneman, The Glass Ceiling Effect 80(2) THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS 655, 655-682 (2001), available at http://www.vanneman.umd.edu/papers/CotterHOV01.pdf.

U.S. Glass Ceiling Commission, Good for Business: Making Full Use of the Nation's Human Capital (Mar. 1, 1995) http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1118&context=key_workplace.

Meenu Goyal& Jai Parkash, Women Entrepreneurship In India-Problems And Prospects 1(5) INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH (Sep. 2011), available at http://zenithresearch.org.in/images/stories/pdf/2011/Sep/14.Vol_01_Issue_05%20MEENU%20GOYAL%20women%20paper.pdf.

DEBORAH J. MCLAUGHLIN, RUNNING IN HIGH HEELS: HOW TO LEAD WITH INFLUENCE, IMPACT & INGENUITY (Lisa Canfield ed., Balboa Press 1st ed. 2014).

McKinsey & Company, Women Matter 2013 - Gender Diversity in Top Management: Moving Corporate Culture, Moving Boundaries, Nov., 2013, at 8, available at http://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/dotcom/homepage/2012_March_Women_Matter/PDF/WomenMatter%202013%20Report.ashx.

Ambreen Wani, Breaking Through The Glass Ceiling, 2 INTERNATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY79, 79-88 (2013).

Securities and Exchange Board of India, Circular, CIR/CFD/POLICY CELL/2/2014, http://www.sebi.gov.in/cms/sebi_data/attachdocs/1397734478112.pdf (last visited Jan. 08, 2015).

Securities and Exchange Board of India, Circular, CIR/CFD/POLICY CELL/7/2014,http://www.sebi.gov.in/cms/sebi_data/attachdocs/1410777212906.pdf (last visited Jan. 08, 2015).

Indian Boards Database, Corporate Governance, http://indianboards.com/files/clause_49.pdf (last visited Jan. 08, 2015).

Securities and Exchange Board of India, Memorandum to the Board,http://www.sebi.gov.in/boardmeetings/132/issueofcapital.pdf (last visited Jan. 07, 2015).

Aagoth Storvik& Mari Teigen, Women on Board: The Norwegian Experience, FRIEDRICH EBERT STIFTUNG, Jun. 2010, at 4, available athttp://library.fes.de/pdf-files/id/ipa/07309.pdf.

Press Release, Khaitan & Co & Biz Divas, Women on Boards: A Policy, Process and Implementation Roadmap (Aug. 07, 2014) http://www.bizdivas.in/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/women_on_boardV3-PRINT.pdf.

European Commission, National Factsheet Gender Balance in Boards,http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender-equality/files/womenonboards/womenonboards-factsheet-it_en.pdf (last visited Jan., 2013).

Corporate Women Directors International, 2014 CWDI Report- Women Board Directors of Fortune Global 200 –2004-2014,(Jul. 2014),https://enterprisingwomen.com/the-connector/2014-cwdi-report-women-board-directors-of-fortune-global-200-2004-2014.html.

Press Release, European Commission, Women On Boards: Commission Proposes 40% Objective (Nov. 14, 2012) http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-12-1205_en.htm.

Khaitan, supra note 30.

David A. Katz, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Developments Regarding Gender Diversity on Public Boards, THE HARVARD LAW SCHOOL FORUM ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND FINANCIAL REGULATION(Nov. 12, 2013) http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/corpgov/2013/11/12/developments-regarding-gender-diversity-on-public-boards/

Corporate Women Directors International, supra note 32.

Christine Naschberger, Women Company Directors: Can Quotas Change The Status Quo, (Sep. 10, 2014) http://forbesindia.com/ printcontent/38551.

Philip Ljee, Rica Bhattacharyya & Kala Vijayaraghavan, How Women Have to Work Harder and Smarter To Claim Their Rightful Space on Indian Corporate Boards, ECONOMIC TIMES BUREAU(Jul. 29, 2014) http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-07-29/news/52186665_1_women-directors-woman-director-professional-women.

Deloitte, Women In The Boardroom: A Global Perspective, (3rd ed. Mar. 2013) available at http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/Risk/gx-ccg-women-in-the-boardroom.pdf.

McKinsey & Company, supra note 23 at 5.

Catalyst, Fortune 500 Women Executive Officers and Top Earners, (Dec. 11, 2011),

http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/2011-catalyst-census-fortune-500-women-executive-officers-and-top-earners

Moorthy K. Uppaluri, Empowering women to leadership positions, THE HINDU: BUSINESS LINE, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/newmanager/empowering-women-to-leadership positions/article6611866.ece (last visited Jan. 08, 2015).

Khaitan, supra note 30.

Press Trust of India, Nita Ambani Becomes First Woman Director on Reliance Board, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, (Jun. 18, 2014), http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-06-18/news/50678707_1_ril-board-reliance-foundation-p-k-kapil;http://archive.financialexpress.com/news/nita-ambani-co-when-law-says-bring-women-on-board-companies-look-to-home/1267389.

Rohini Pande & Deanna Ford, Gender Quotas and Female Leadership: A Review, BACKGROUND PAPER FOR THE WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT ON GENDER (Apr. 07, 2011) http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/rpande/ files/ gender_quotas_-_april_2011.pdf.

Khaitan, supra note 30.

Downloads

Published

2021-08-13

How to Cite

Vaibhavi, T., & Soundarya, V. L. (2021). Representation of Women on the Board of Directors under the Companies Act, 2013. Christ University Law Journal, 4(1), 33-47. https://doi.org/10.12728/culj.6.2