EC tackles boardroom recruitment inequality

The European Commission is to instigate measures to break up the traditional recruitment practices that ensure the boardrooms of major listed companies are filled predominantly by men.

The big companies were asked to change their culture of appointing almost exclusively men as directors over the past year, but female representation has risen by less than half a percentage point. At this pace, it would take half a century to reach 40%.

Now the EC says it will bring in legislation to force companies to distribute power more equitably, giving women at least 40% of seats around the boardroom table.