Does board gender diversity affect firm risk-taking? Evidence from the French stock market

Drawing from a sample of French companies that made up the SBF 120 index over the period 2006–2010 (before the enactment of the Cope–Zimmermann law on gender quotas on boards), this paper investigates the relationship between board gender diversity and firm risk-taking (measured by the variability of the return on assets). Using a generalized method of moments estimation, no evidence is found to support the assumption of a significant relationship between women on corporate boards and firm risk-taking. These results potentially can be relevant for policy makers and academic research.