California is the first state to require women on boards of directors

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California is the first state to require publicly traded companies to include women on their boards, one of many laws promoting or protecting women that Governor Jerry Brown signed on Sunday.

The measure requires the presence of at least one woman on the board of directors of every California public company by the end of next year. Businesses would need a maximum of three women directors by the end of 2021, depending on the number of seats on the board.

The Democratic Governor spoke about the objections and legal concerns raised by the law. The California Chamber of Commerce has said the policy would be difficult for companies to implement and violate constitutional prohibitions against discrimination.

"I do not downplay the potential flaws that could actually be fatal to its final implementation," Brown wrote in a signing statement. "Nevertheless, recent events in Washington, DC – and beyond – clearly show that many do not understand the message."

This is one of the measures affecting women that Brown signed on Sunday, his last opportunity to approve or deny laws before the term governor leaves office. It also approved legislation requiring small employers to provide training on sexual harassment and to prohibit secret arrangements relating to sexual assault and harassment.

But he vetoed a bill that would have forced California public universities to provide abortion drugs at campus health centers, saying the services were already "widely available" off campus.

Brown's actions come as the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct has led to a national record that has driven men out of power. The latest large-scale allegations involve Supreme Court candidate Brett Kavanaugh, who has dismissed complaints of sexual misconduct filed by three women for decades.

The author of the California-based board of directors, SB 826, said she thought having more women in power could help reduce sexual assault and harassment at work.

Having more women on the boards will also contribute to business success, said Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson. Women tend to be more collaborative and are better at multitasking, said the Democrat of Santa Barbara.

A quarter of California-based limited companies do not have women on their boards. These companies have not done enough to increase the number of women serving on their boards despite pressure from the legislature, making government intervention necessary, Jackson said.

"It's one of the last bastions of total male domination," she said. "We know that the public and businesses are not well served by this level of discrimination."

The California Chamber of Commerce has argued that the composition of boards of directors should be determined internally and not by a government. The board said the new law would give priority to gender over other aspects of diversity, such as race and ethnicity.

"This creates a challenge for a board to achieve broader diversity goals," said Jennifer Barrera, Senior Vice-President of House Policy.

The law applies to companies that claim to have their main executive offices in California. Companies may be fined $ 100,000 for a first offense and $ 300,000 for subsequent offenses.

The law also requires companies to report to the California State Council and impose a $ 100,000 fine if a company does not do so.

Some European countries, notably Norway and France, already require that the boards of directors of companies include women.

Brown on Sunday stopped California from becoming the first state to force public colleges and universities to offer abortion drugs at their health centers. A bill by Democratic Senator Connie Leyva would have required the 34 campuses of the University of California and the University of California to make the drugs available at their health centers by 2022.

Public schools now direct students to external providers. Abortion advocates have said that it makes things difficult for car-less and expensive women because many private providers do not accept student insurance.

A group of private donors, some of whom are anonymous, pledged up to $ 20 million in start-up costs, including ultrasound equipment and training for medical staff and billing staff.

Medical abortions are caused by taking two tablets, which can be administered for up to 10 weeks. One tablet is given at the clinic and a second medication is taken later at home. The drugs cause bleeding similar to those of a miscarriage.

Leyva promised to reintroduce the bill under the next governor of California; Brown will leave office early next year.

"I hope that our new legislature and governor will agree that the right to choose is not just a slogan, but rather a commitment to improving true access to abortion for students across California," he said. she said in a statement.

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Associated Press Editor Julie Watson in San Diego contributed.

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