Do we need to adopt a quota system to improve gender parity in the boardroom?

International Women's Day is on Friday. Every year I get behind any promotion, event, activity and conversation concerning IWD. Sadly, it tends to only last 24 hours and then we don't talk about it again for another 364 days.?

The theme this year is inclusion. Something I talk a lot about in my role as a recruiter and, being female, it is of course something I am hugely passionate about.?

I think we need more education on the 'Why?'. Why do we need more gender diversity? What are the benefits? My concern around a number of decisions made by companies concerning D&I are made purely to be seen to be doing the 'right thing'.?

So, what are the benefits of more female representation within a leadership team? Apart from the fact we are, well just better than men ( ?? )? - research shows there are a number of reasons why having gender diversity in the C-Suite works.

• It has shown to increase diversity + inclusion across the business. Female workers are happier to ask advice regarding their careers and advancement from female leaders who provide mentorship to them. Women feel more comfortable joining a business where there is a gender balance in the boardroom.
• Having a diverse C-Suite is proven to be more financially successful as it provides a diverse perspective on company-wide decisions which in turn enhances overall performance.

• Women are proven to show a higher ability of relationship building, which in turn can improve overall company interpersonal relations.

• Analysis on women's impact on a team show that female leaders can better influence the motivation of a team increasing overall wellbeing.

Throughout my career, and my personal life, I have faced a huge amount of discrimination for being female. For those who know me, know I was raised by some of the most impressive and strongest women you will ever meet. I was taught as a child that women can do anything a man can do. I was lucky in that regard. I am very aware that I have been paid much less than my male peers over the years. I have been called 'bossy' whereas a male counterpart has been called 'assertive'. I have been overlooked for a promotion in favor of a male colleague as 'men handle pressure better' and 'women's emotions cloud their judgement'.

There have been some incredible strides to improve female representation. 40% of UK FTSE 100 Board Members are now women however a majority of which are not in Executive Director roles.?

Do you think we should adopt a quota system to see more improvement, or shall we stick with the current voluntary system and hope enough people keep banging the gender parity drum?