Today, quotas governing the representation of women in the boardroom are being held in reserve in case voluntary action proves ineffective. When Lord Davies concluded in his report of 2011 that quotas for women at board level were not necessary, he set a voluntary minimum target of 25 per cent for FTSE 100 boards by 2015. However, the proportion of women on FTSE 100 boards has been stuck at about 17.4 per cent since August 2012...Proponents of quotas say they need not run counter to meritocratic principles...Their aim is not to exclude more qualified males but to ensure balanced lists of equally qualified candidates...Those supporting quotas concede that this is often a case of unconscious bias, rather than direct discrimination...But do board quotas address the wider complaint that gender inequality extends well beyond the boardroom? [refers to Sodexo, Accor,Stevens & Bolton, Armstrong Craven]