The U.K. has set a target of 33% of women directors on public company boards by 2020. The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) is drafting a requirement of at least 30% of directors being women.

Until 2019, individual Canadian companies set targets for gender diversity only if they chose to. Of those Canadian companies responding to the Osler survey in 2018, only 17.2% reported that they had set targets. Of those opting not to, some cited reasons are the perception that gender diversity targets:

• may result in someone other than the best candidates being selected
• are ineffective or arbitrary
• don’t make sense for organizations with a small number of directors or low turnover
• limit talent pool or are too restrictive

Let’s be clear –  the research does not support these perceptions.