Some organizations, including the EU, make an economic argument for the integration of women in leadership. They say gender diversity better reflects a world where females make 70 percent of the economic choices and results in better decision making. Companies with three or more women on boards at least four or five years outperformed those with zero, according to the advocacy group Catalyst. Other research shows that company performance isn’t closely correlated with directors’ gender, and that awarding “golden skirts” for the sake of parity may compromise a board’s quality. (An academic analysis found that Norway experienced a drop in the value of its companies’ shares after its gender-equality mandate was enacted.) Advocates say women shouldn’t have to prove their impact to the bottom line to justify a seat at the table. In this view, it’s just the right thing to do.   Women on Corporate Boards