Pace International Law Review is honored to feature articles from its Spring 2013 symposium on Comparative Sex Regimes and Corporate Governance. Today we share Norway’s Companies Act: A 10-Year Look at Gender Equality by Kristen Carroll. Kristen Carroll graduated cum laude with an International Certificate from Pace University School of Law. During her 2L year she competed on the International Criminal Court Moot Team and helped place first overall in the International Criminal Court Moot Team competition. During her 3L year she was a member of th eWillem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration team, and competed in Veinna, Austria. She also was Editor-in-Chief of Pace International Law Review and is intending to take the New York Bar Examination this coming summer. Her article discusses the amendment to the Norway’s Companies Act, which mandated female representation on corporate boards 10 years back:

This analysis assesses the amendment to Norway’s Companies Act, in light of the 10-year anniversary of the mandate of female representation on corporate boards. First, I discuss the implementation of the quota, Section 6-11a. Second, I compare three statistical studies that analyze the effects of the quota on corporate profitability, overall firm performance, and the changing dynamics of the managerial positions. Finally, I evaluate the various avenues to fully achieving diversity, such as the successes and failures of a quota-type system and possible initiatives that governments and companies can enact to achieve gender-balance in the workplace. While some hypothesize that the quota negatively affects overall firm capability and value, the statistical data on the effects of the legislation is not dispositive. Ultimately, it is in the best interest of corporations to learn from Norway’s example in implementing mandatory female representation, and to explore other avenues to achieving diversity.

Enjoy reading the rest of the article, Norway’s Companies Act: A 10-Year Look at Gender Equality. Please also take a look at all of Pace International Law Review Spring 2013 symposium articles on  Comparative Sex Regimes and Corporate Governance.