"A recent Italian law mandates a temporary increased representation of women on boards of publicly-listed and state-owned companies. While traditionally a poor performer on gender issues, this new law has the potential to make Italy a prominent world player in equality between the sexes. Women Directors analyzes the Italian law on gender quotas in boards as a vital opportunity for the country and a key international case. It provides a broad perspective of the new Italian experience, which has the potential to influence the way of addressing gender quota issues worldwide. The key elements of the Italian approach, which include the interaction between public and private spheres, the prompting of an intense debate, the promotion of meritocracy consistently with the emergence of female talents, contribute to spread the impact of the Italian law beyond the country, beyond the period of implementation of the law and beyond the mere increase of the number of women in boards."

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