*By Bridgette Webb* Corporate boards are often much smaller than the companies they serve, but their importance shouldn't be underestimated, said Ăsa Regnér, UN Women's deputy executive director. "Boards influence people's lives, so it's really important who is on those boards," Regnér said Monday in an interview on Cheddar. That is perhaps why California just passed new legislation that requires public companies in the state to have at least one woman on their boards by the end of 2019. By 2021, a minimum of two women must sit on boards of five or more; three, when boards have more than six people. For Regnér, it's about corporate America leading by example. "I think these kinds of legislation are normally really good," she said. It's important "to ask people to actually shape up and do something about the injustice that we see." But the law didn't sail through without opposition. Many argued it's not the government's right to dictate a company's board, and others argued the law may prioritize gender over other critical kinds of diversity ー like race and ethnicity, for example. Regnér disagreed. "There is already a quota going on, but it is an informal quota which favors men with a certain background," she said. "I don't think there is a contradiction to other backgrounds, this is one step I don't think \[demographics\] should fight each other." For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/%20Fostering%20an%20Unstereotyped%20Culture).

Share:
More In Politics
High-Profile Cases Shine Light on Public Interest in 'Courtroom Drama'
With so many high-profile court cases taking over the media, from the trial over the murder of Ahmaud Arbery to the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse to the ongoing Elizabeth Holmes trial, Cheddar took a look at these cases and why there is such a big interest in them. Rachel Fiset, a white collar criminal defense lawyer and partner with Zeiback, Fiset, and Coleman, and Bryan Hance, attorney-at-law, professor, and academic program director of the pre-law and paralegal studies program at National University, joined Cheddar for a roundtable discussion on why there is so much public interest in so-called courtroom drama.
SAFE Banking Act to Help Legal Cannabis Operators Still Faces Senate Obstacles
Cheddar's Chloe Aiello joined "Closing Bell" to break down the progress of the SAFE Banking Act in Congress as cannabis businesses operators struggle to find financial institutions that will service them. Banks face steep federal penalties, including the risk of losing a bank charter, if found to be servicing marijuana businesses even if their state has legalized operations. Aiello reported that while there was some bipartisan support for the measure in the Senate, the bill faces some opposition from conservatives with "longstanding concerns" about cannabis and progressives who prefer a more comprehensive approach to reform.
DiDi Delisting Could Signal Forced Decoupling of China-U.S. in Financial Markets
Chinese regulators are reportedly behind China-based ride-hailing company DiDi exiting from the New York Stock Exchange, just days after listing earlier this year. The regulators stated prior that DiDi had not received the necessary clearances to list in the states. Gordon Chang, Asian affairs expert, joined Cheddar to break down what the delisting says about the relationship between nations. "This really strikes me as an attempt to really to force a decoupling of China and the U.S. in the financial markets," Chang said.
Futures Point to Higher Open Despite Jobs Miss, Omicron Spread
U.S. Futures were pointing to a higher open to round out the week despite a miss on the November Jobs Report, which showed slower job growth than expected-- and as the omicron variant continues to spread across the country. Patrick Healey, Founder & President at Caliber Financial Partners joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Load More