The measure requires at least one female director on each board of California-based corporations by the end of next year. Companies would need up to three female directors by the end of 2021, depending on the number of board seats.
The Democratic governor referenced the objections and legal concerns that the law has raised.
“I don’t minimize the potential flaws that indeed may prove fatal to its ultimate implementation,” Brown wrote in a signing statement. “Nevertheless, recent events in Washington, D.C. – and beyond – make it crystal clear that many are not getting the message.”
Some European countries, including Norway and France, already mandate that corporate boards include women.
Having more women on boards will make companies more successful, said state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, who authored the bill, SB 826.
Women tend to be more collaborative and are better at multitasking, the Santa Barbara Democrat said. She believes having more women in power also could help reduce sexual assault and harassment in the workplace.