Magdalena Łapsa-Parczewska, Managing Director for Capital Market Supervision at the UKNF, joined the panel: ‘Reporting; how to report on the implementation of gender balance policies’ during the ‘Women on Boards. New rules for companies’ conference.

During the discussion, she highlighted the relevance of information about the implementation of policies on gender balance on corporate boards. She stressed that reporting in this respect should not be seen only as an obligation towards the supervisory authority, but first of all as a source of information for investors making decisions regarding investments in companies.

This is not about punishing the issuers. The purpose of the new regulations is to support the actualisation of the principle of gender balance on corporate boards. As she pointed out, ‘the essence of these regulations is to encourage issuers to take measures to increase the representation of women on boards, and the report is to answer whether the company is ready – and, if not, how it wants to – achieve this goal’.

She has pointed out that as investors’ interest in investing in companies with gender balance on boards increases, the importance of the report will also increase, so issuers should provide investors with full information in this regard.

‘This report is for investors, who at the end of day decide whether they should invest in the company or not,’ Magdalena Łapsa-Parczewska said.

She has also pointed out that the achievement of goals regarding gender balance is a process involving all market participants. Although the regulations focus on the composition of management boards, the achievement of these objectives is also determined by the decisions of supervisory boards and shareholders. As she firmly said, ‘this is a joint effort of all market participants’.

The appearance of Magdalena Łapsa-Parczewska at the conference was also an opportunity to inform the attendees about the publication of Position of the UKNF on the performance by listed companies of their obligations under the Women on Boards rules.