The impact of feminism-related public discussions on the promotion of female senior executives: evidence from China

Abstract

Using panel data of the A-share listed firms in China from 2015 to 2021, this article studies the impact of feminism-related public discussions on the promotion of female senior executives. Empirical results find that feminism-related public discussion can push firms to increase the ratio of female senior executives. Further research finds that the effect is more significant in firms whose chairmen are male, firms that are not state-owned enterprises, and firms whose employees are better educated. In addition, economic consequences tests show that when the public pays more attention to feminism, a high ratio of female senior executives can contribute to improving firm value. The findings in this article can be conducive to understanding the influence of public opinion on female career development and firms' decision-making.