Recently we had a lenghty discussion on facebook about using a quota (demanding for example that 40% of the management of a compagny is female) to establish the emancipation of woman. I am against these quota, I think it undermines the crediblity of woman in the toppositions ("you only got the job because you're a woman" and thereby slows the emancipation down. Furthermore I don't think that it is just, the best person for the job should get the position!

I am currious, what do you think?

I agree with you, I'm afraid a quota will place a stigma on women: they're not able to get high positions withouth forcing companies to do so.

In Holland there are very few women in toppositions, even relative to other countries. There is however a very high percentage of women active in a job. Most of them work part time though. Maybe this is because of the bad facilities for children day care etc, maybe it is they just like it. But compared with the low percentage of women in a full time jog, the number of women in top positions is very normal.

I'd like to do more research on this though. I believe that in some cultures it is really the male arrogance of the bosses that just will not let women in the top (I heard that for example in Italy that culture is very dominant, and women will just get no chance of proving what they can without obligatory quota).

And Í'd like to know if quota really place that stigma, or that the women who get these toppositions don't notice negative effects of it. I guess I personally will, but then again: maybe I would just be very happy I got that position. I do however think quota is making the division more clear, while in my eyes emancipation is about forgetting about the differences, and accepting the ones that cannot be changed.

I'm indeed very curious about other people opinions on this matter!

So especially people who think quotas are neccesarry (or males ) please speak up everyone!

Personally I'm not in favour of using quota's in high positions to establish the emancipation of woman.

As Steffy and Flore already said; this would probably undermine the credibility of woman in high positions and thereby also undermine their authority. I would not like to think that I've got a job based on the fact that I was the best woman that was aplying to it, instead of the best person overall.
By using quota, you assume that the problem of few woman in high positions is based on the high majority of man that is currently in these positions. I think that the high number of mans in this position might be a factor why some woman are less likely to work in these positions. However, the plan of quota is based on a philosophy that there are currently many woman who would love to do these jobs but are unable to do so because of the environment that is created at work or the criteria that are used for the sollicitation. I think that there could be many other reasons why woman are not in these jobs, for instance that they prefer other jobs, or indeed that maybe the facilities of childrens day care are not sufficient.

On the other hand, are there a lot of jobs on which I cannot judge. I've heard that working at the police or the navy can be very tough on woman because of the high majority of man, and maybe in these kind of jobs there is a quota needed to establish a working environment that is adequate for both woman and man.


I'm interested to hear from the ones that favour quota And if so, do you favour them because you think that more woman in higher positions would work better, because you think that it is now very difficult for woman to get those jobs, or just because of the principle?

When talking about the police or marine you can of course use Israel as an example. All males and females have to conscript to the army. Male female there should be around 50/50.

In my opinion quota are not really good either. Where you three are afraid for (getting a job because you are a women) will certainly happen. Why? Because it's not a natural process. And honostly while do people care so much about having more women in toppositions. It's a process that can not easely be forced. I think if you get more women in the lower positions as well that it will cause in the end a raise of women in higher positions as well.

Lot of people who are now a director or manager did start from the bottom. Also promoting managing studies for women might help as well.

Oh well it's something of this era afterall. Our wish to be politically correct all the time. Very tiresome

David you have a point: maybe it's just our feeling to making the society political correct, while it's just not natural...