Gender diversity and tax avoidance: do gender quotas matter

In this study, we examine the impact of the presence of women on board of directors and in top executive positions on companies' tax avoidance practices in French public companies. We also explore the impact of the introduction of Copé-Zimmerman law which mandates a quota of female directors on boards. Our findings suggest that CFOs' gender matters as female CFOs are less inclined to tax avoidance behaviour. We also find that the presence of female directors on boards is negatively associated with tax avoidance suggesting that women can be effective monitors on boards. However, this effect was more pronounced before the introduction of a mandatory quota of female executives. This suggests that companies that rushed into adding female board members to comply with the Copé-Zimmermann law may not have reached an optimal and effective board composition.