Women on boards revolutionizing ESG governance

By: Ma. Aurora “Boots” D. Geotina-Garcia – Inquirer.net

Last May 6, I had the privilege of speaking at the Global Summit of Women in Dubai on the role of women on boards in promoting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. The session highlighted the importance of diverse board memberships, and I was able to share our best practices—the efforts made in the Philippines—to improve gender parity in corporate governance. It was an opportunity for all of us to explore innovative ESG initiatives that work for our respective contexts.

Is there a business case for Board Diversity?

By: Ma. Aurora “Boots” D. Geotina-Garcia – BUSINESSWORLD

Despite the many studies from different countries on the benefits of board diversity — with at least 90 (and counting) all pointing to a correlation between more women on boards and companies’ better financial performance — there remains skepticism or hesitancy among organizations on adopting policies to make their boards more diverse, and not only in gender, age, and skills, among others. Thus, in my gender equality and women’s economic empowerment advocacy work, I am often asked: “Is there a business case to be made for board diversity?”