Holyrood passes gender equality on boards bill

Women, who comprise just over 50 per cent of the population in Scotland, currently make up 45 per cent of the membership on boards.

The law sets an objective for at least 50 per cent of non-executive members on boards to be female by 2022.

The legislation passed by 88 votes to 28. The Scottish Conservatives voted against the bill.

The requirements will apply to further and higher educational instutitons and some public bodies such as health boards, the Scottish Police Authority and also the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

The Scottish Conservatives said that “quotas are not the way forward”, though the bill was backed by SNP, Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat MSPs.

The rules will mean that where a minister is faced with two or more equally competent candidates for a public board role, they will be required by law to select the woman candidate.

Emma Ritch, of feminist organisation Engender, said it was “crucial that our public boards in Scotland include women from different socioeconomic backgrounds, black and minority ethnic women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender women”.