In honour of International Women’s Day 2025 and its Accelerate Action theme, Women in Cotton's next Chats for Change event will be delivered by Dr. Jannine Poletti-Hughes from the University of Liverpool Management School and focus on women on boards of directors.

Advancing gender diversity on corporate boards requires moving beyond symbolic representation to ensuring meaningful participation of women in leadership roles. Research highlights that the success of gender diversity reforms is influenced by cultural and regulatory contexts. In more egalitarian societies, compliance is higher, yet even these countries often practice “reluctant compliance,” where women are appointed to less influential roles or added to boards without replacing male directors. In less egalitarian societies, superficial adherence to diversity reforms is more common.

Stronger regulatory frameworks and inclusive practices are needed to empower women in key leadership positions, shifting from diversity as a target to inclusion as a norm.

Dr. Jannine Poletti-Hughes is an Associate Professor at the University of Liverpool Management School, specialising in corporate governance and gender diversity.

Held via Zoom on Thursday 6 March at 16:00 (CET), this event is open to everyone in the cotton and textile industry, regardless of gender.