Overcoming Barriers to Equality and Diversity Representation on Public, Private and Third Sector Boards in Scotland – Executive Summary

1 Introduction

1.1 The Employment Research Institute (ERI) was commissioned by the Scottish Government to identify how barriers to equality and diversity representation at board level in public, private and third sector organisations could be overcome, particularly for women.

1.2 The research was guided by three questions:

• How have barriers to equality and diversity representation on boards been overcome?
• What can be learned from programmes that support equality and diversity representation on boards?
• Are there potential benefits and challenges to organisations and society of equality and diversity representation on boards?

1.3 Our society's understanding of equalities is changing. There has been a shift away from prevention of harmful behaviours towards a more positive vision of how we would like our society to be. The focus of equalities is on supporting the creation of a fair and equal society where all members have an equal opportunity to participate and fulfil their potential regardless of the characteristics that define them.

1.4 This document presents an executive summary of the findings from the full report entitled 'Overcoming Barriers to Equality and Diversity Representation on Public, Private and Third Sector Boards^[1] in Scotland', 2014.