E. whereas traditional gender roles and stereotypes continue to have a strong influence on the division of roles between women and men in the home, in the workplace and in society at large, with women depicted as running the house and caring for children while men are depicted as wage-earners and protectors; whereas gender stereotypes tend to perpetuate the status quo of inherited obstacles to achieving gender equality, and to limit women’s range of employment choices and personal development, impeding them from realising their full potential as individuals and economic players, and therefore constitute strong obstacles to the achievem ...[+++]ent of equality between women and men;

E. whereas traditional gender roles and stereotypes continue to have a strong influence on the division of roles between women and men in the home, in the workplace and in society at large, with women depicted as running the house and caring for children while men are depicted as wage-earners and protectors; whereas gender stereotypes tend to perpetuate the status quo of inherited obstacles to achieving gender equality, and to limit women’s range of employment choices and personal development, impeding them from realising their full potential as individuals and economic players, and therefore constitute strong obstacles to the achieveme ...[+++]nt of equality between women and men;

N. whereas traditional gender roles and stereotypes continue to have a strong influence on the division of roles between women and men at home, in the workplace and in society at large, and tend to perpetuate the status quo of inherited obstacles to achieving gender equality and to limit women's range of employment choices and personal development in the service sector, impeding them from realising their full potential as individuals and economic actors;

N. whereas traditional gender roles and stereotypes continue to have a strong influence on the division of roles between women and men at home, in the workplace and in society at large, and tend to perpetuate the status quo of inherited obstacles to achieving gender equality and to limit women’s range of employment choices and personal development in the service sector, impeding them from realising their full potential as individuals and economic actors;

(14) While this Directive does not aim to harmonise national laws on the selection procedures and qualification criteria for board positions in detail, the introduction of certain minimum standards as regards the requirement for listed companies without balanced gender representation to take appointment decisions for non-executive directors on the basis of an objective comparative assessment of the qualifications of candidates in terms of suitability, competence and professional performance is necessary in order to attain gender balan ...[+++]ce among non-executives directors.

Projections based on a comprehensive analysis of all available information on past and current trends as well as intentions show that a balanced gender representation among non-executive board members across the Union in line with the objectives set out in this Directive will not be achieved by Member States acting individually at any point in the foreseeable future. In the light of those circumstances and given the growing discrepancies between Member States in terms of the representation of women ...[+++] and men on company boards, the gender balance on corporate boards across the Union can only be improved through a common approach, and the potential for gender equality, competitiveness and growth can be better achieved through coordinated action at Union level rather than through national initiatives of varying scope, ambition and effectiveness.