Germany Sets Quota for Women Board Members

Angela Merkel

Germany has ordered the country's largest companies to appoint women to 30% of their supervisory board positions by the end of 2016, BBC News reports.

The new rule, expected to be finalized by year-end, will affect about 100 listed companies. BBC cites reports that say women currently occupy no more than 20% of the seats on German supervisory board positions but 40% of federal cabinet posts.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, who initially opposed the quota, now supports it. BBC says similar measures have been adopted in Italy, the Netherlands and Norway. The news service notes that the EC said last year it might require publicly traded companies in the eurozone to increase their number of female board members.