GENDER DIVERSITY ON BOARDS OF DIRECTORS IN JOINT-STOCK CORPORATIONS IN TURKEY: COMBINING HARD AND SOFT LAW

Year 2022, , 1765 - 1794, 31.12.2022

İrem Tore

https://doi.org/10.32957/hacettepehdf.1165177

Abstract

The under-representation of women on corporate boards has received increased attention in terms of
corporate governance over the last decade. The necessity of gender diversity on corporate boards is mostly
based on economic rationale, which is insufficient due to two reasons; first, it is not always possible to find
a correlation between female participation on boards and the interests of the shareholders, and second such
a correlation for male members of the board is not sought. The economic rationale needs to be reinforced
with an equality rationale that emphasizes women's rights to promote gender diversity on corporate
boards. Equality rationale is precisely what corporate governance regulations can provide.
It is debatable which type of regulation is the most effective among the strategies to increase the share of
women on the boards. The regulations can be grouped under two broad types. The first includes the
introduction of mandatory quota for women on boards, along with sanctions. The second approach is of a
more voluntary character. The Corporate Governance Principles of Turkey, which regulates gender
diversity on the corporate boards, have been drawn up with the latter being preferred. However, statistics
show that Turkey is showing slow progress in this regard. This signals that the soft law approach did not
have the desired impact on increasing the proportion of women on the corporate boards.

Keywords

Gender quota, Women on boards, Corporate governance, Soft law, Turkey.

TÜRKİYE'DE ANONİM ŞİRKET YÖNETİM KURULLARINDA CİNSİYET ÇEŞİTLİLİĞİ: SERT VE YUMUŞAK HUKUKUN BİRLEŞTİRİLMESİ

Abstract

Kadınların şirket yönetim kurullarında yeterince temsil edilmemesi, son on yılda kurumsal yönetim açısından artan bir ilgi görmüştür. Yönetim kurullarında cinsiyet çeşitliliğinin gerekliliği genellikle ekonomik gerekçeye dayanmaktadır ki bu gerekçe iki nedenden dolayı yetersizdir; birincisi, kadınların yönetim kuruluna katılımı ile pay sahiplerinin menfaatleri arasında her zaman bir ilişki bulmak mümkün değildir ve ikincisi, yönetim kuruluna erkek üyelerin katılımı için böyle bir ilişki aranmamaktadır. Ekonomik gerekçenin, şirket yönetim kurullarında cinsiyet çeşitliliğini teşvik etmek için kadın haklarına vurgu yapan bir eşitlik gerekçesi ile güçlendirilmesi gerekmektedir. Eşitlik gerekçesi, kurumsal yönetim düzenlemeleri ile sağlanabilir.
Kadınların yönetim kurullarındaki payını artırmaya yönelik stratejilerden hangisinin en etkili olduğu tartışmalıdır. Düzenlemeler iki ana grup altında toplanabilir. Bunlardan ilki, müeyyidelendirilmiş zorunlu kota uygulamasıdır. İkinci yaklaşım ise gönüllülük esasına dayanmaktadır. Türkiye’de yönetim kurullarında cinsiyet çeşitliliğini düzenleyen Kurumsal Yönetim İlkeleri ikinci yaklaşım tercih edilerek oluşturulmuştur. Ancak istatistikler, Türkiye'nin bu konuda yavaş ilerleme kaydettiğini göstermektedir. Bu, yumuşak hukuk yaklaşımının yönetim kurullarında kadın oranını artırmak için istenen etkiye sahip olmadığına işaret etmektedir.
Bu makale, bu yavaş ilerlemenin nedenlerini ortaya koymayı ve Türkiye'de kadınların yönetim kurullarında daha fazla temsil edilmesini sağlamak için mevcut düzenlemelere alternatif yasal yollar göstermeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma, yavaş ilerlemenin nedeninin Türkiye'deki kurumsal yönetim düzenlemesi ile uygulaması arasındaki uyumsuzluk olduğunu göstermektedir. Bir yandan Türk şirketlerinin kurumsal kültürü dikkate alındığında, katı yasaların uygulanması hedeflenen sonuca ulaşmayacaktır. Ancak öte yandan, gönüllülük esasına dayalı yaptırımsız yöntem, niyetin ötesinde geçebilmek için etkili bir yol değildir. Bu araştırmanın bulgusu, yönetim kurullarında cinsiyet eşitliğini artırmak için Türkiye'de güçlendirilmiş gönüllülük yönteminin uygulanması gerektiğidir.

Keywords

Cinsiyet kotası, Yönetim kurulunda kadın, Kurumsal yönetim, Yumuşak hukuk, Türkiye

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