NYC has 31 official genders. How can you require a woman but not require the dozens of others. So next time it will be you must have a transgender, or androgynous, then a non-binary and then an ?? attack helicopter on the board.
Of course the easy way around this for companies is, have board members say, "I self identify as ???" Problem solved.

Joe, that's hilarious. And right on.

Another easy workaround would be for corporations to re-domicile themselves into some other state. Which will save them money, too. Let California sink into the swamp, we're outta here!

Words fail me.

I like jdgalt's suggestion.

Maybe my understanding of what the board of directors of most companies do is wrong, but I always thought that they attend an occasional board meeting, do some voting, and rubber stamp the CxO level decision making. Or vote to remove parts or all of the CxO level decision makers. Or to vote on replacements.

And get paid 6 figures for that. It's a gig I'd like to try on for size, and I'll declare myself a female if that will help.

And typically, it isn't just some random woman on the street, it'll be someone famous, maybe a Chelsea Clinton, or maybe Angelina Jolie.

Another thing: once you're on one BoD at some company, it is more likely you'll be invited to join another. Just got to make sure their meetings don't overlap.

Corporations don't decide who gets to be on the board of directors. That decision is made by the shareholders in the democratic process of voting.

Persons who want to serve on a board are nominated. Boards are selected annually with proxies mailed out to shareholders or by vote at a shareholders annual meeting. There are always candidates who lose.

Maybe Hannah Beth Jackson should submit a bill requiring shareholder/voters to vote for the female candidate. Success probability of that: snowball in Hell

Nick - "Persons who want to serve on a board are nominated."

"I don't care who does the electing, so long as I get to do the nominating." Boss Tweed

Jackson is probably taking clues from the DNC where super delegates and behind the scenes influences have a huge impact on making sure only the "correct" people get nominated. Have 4 open spots on the board, make sure only 3 men are nominated and you will have at least one woman elected.

So what is the penalty if the vagina goal isn't met? Do they fine each stockholder for not voting the proper way?

“One-fourth of California’s publicly traded companies still do not have a single woman on their board, despite numerous independent studies that show companies with women on their board are more profitable and productive,” said Senator Jackson.

What studies?

And do these alleged studies credibly link the presence of women on the board to profitability; or is this another correlation ≠ causation logical fallacy? Large companies that are profitable tend to have women on their boards - hence the misapplication of correlation into the thinking that having women on boards must lead to profitability.

We've got to stop letting sociology majors think they know how to use statistics.

And once again we are reminded of women's inherent inferiority. By those trying to "help" them.

Can you say "token"? I thought you could.

With friends like Hannah-Beth Jackson, women don't need enemies.

"So what is the penalty if the vagina goal isn't met? Do they fine each stockholder for not voting the proper way?"

They'll probably do what often happens in Europe: the government grants itself a "super share" in the corporation, which allows it to out-vote the shareholders. (And, in practice, the super share is usually controlled by company insiders, so that they perpetrate the old-boys club, while allowing some token women in. As long as said women understand that they are there for image, and need to keep their mouths shut unless they are espousing feel-good political correctness.)