Current Volume 9
Gender Diversity in Corporate Boards in India: A Legal Analysis of the Mandate for Women Directors under the Companies Act, 2013
Abstract
One woman must sit on certain company boards in India. That rule started back in 2013. A change within Section 149(1) of the Companies Act made it happen. Not just policies from markets, but laws set the requirement. Big firms, especially those traded publicly, had to follow. The move placed India ahead among emerging economies. No longer was inclusion left to chance. Legal texts shaped who could hold power. A closer look can be gained by reading the law alongside Rule 3, issued in 2014. Market rules added more structure later. SEBI stepped in with disclosure duties tied to listings. Laws mixed with oversight created a real effect. Looking closely at laws and real-world data, this work checks how well the rule was written, whether it is enforced properly, and how companies actually follow it. By comparing India’s method with rules in places like Norway, France, the UK, and the US, a clearer picture takes shape. Even though more women now sit on company boards, many are placed just for show, often tied to owners’ families, showing little real change. Simply requiring one woman does not go far enough, experts say. Changes in law could help move beyond numbers toward actual fairness in leadership roles.
Keywords
Gender Diversity, Women Directors, Corporate Governance, Companies Act 2013, Section 149(1), Board Composition, Critical Mass Theory, India
Citations
IRE Journals:
Pooja Choudhary, Nancy Sharma, Swarnim Chaudhary "Gender Diversity in Corporate Boards in India: A Legal Analysis of the Mandate for Women Directors under the Companies Act, 2013" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 10 2026 Page 3358-3365 https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I10-1717047
IEEE:
Pooja Choudhary, Nancy Sharma, Swarnim Chaudhary
"Gender Diversity in Corporate Boards in India: A Legal Analysis of the Mandate for Women Directors under the Companies Act, 2013" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(10) https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I10-1717047
About IRE Journals
IRE Journals is an open access online journals established with an aim to publish high quality of research work in various diciplines. We have more than 6 years in publications. Over 2500+ papers already published.
Important Links
For Authors
Volume 8:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12Volume 7:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12Volume 6:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12Volume 5:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12Volume 4:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12Volume 3:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12