The debate about the role of women in the business life of the 21st century has quite rapidly transformed itself. We have seen the transformation of the discourse from a discussion on the basis of equity and human rights, via bottom line correlations to a question of productivity.
During the last century, arguments for gender equality in the workplace were largely based on the concept of equality of opportunity and promotion on merit; it was argued it was the "right" thing to do, but the actual participation rate of women at the top of corporate structures remained largely unchanged.