Having women as directors has clear advantages

GENDER diversity in the workplace is certainly a global issue, but while intentions in South-east Asia are bold, there is evidence that it is taking some time for the effects to come through. Despite clear signalling from government and corporations of a desire to tackle this issue, the absence of women on company boards in Asia is more notable than in some areas such as Western Europe and North America, although the region is slowly catching up.

However, in 2017, inequality is still fairly prevalent in the business world in Asia's largest public companies - just one in eight seats on boards is held by women. It is heartening that many senior positions in business are held by women, but this has yet to filter through to board level, and it is worth asking why.

One reason may be an outdated perception that women are not "up to the job", especially on male-dominated boards where women are kept out of the "boys' club". Traditional corporate norms mean that it is usual to see a male-dominated board, perhaps with a token female member - which can normalise what should no longer be a normal situation. It is 2017, and more and more women are proving themselves in top-level roles.