Gender Diversity and Non-Financial Disclosure: A Systematic Literature Review

This paper provides an overview of recent academic literature on the relationship between gender diversity and its disclosure through non-financial information. Organizations are increasingly prioritizing gender diversity initiatives as part of their efforts to promote inclusivity and sustainability. Gender diversity reporting covers gender workforce composition (Fine et al., 2020; Mousa et al., 2020), women’s involvement in leadership positions, gender pay gap (Blau and Kahn, 2000; Paoloni et al., 2023), initiatives to promote gender equality (Squires, 2007), and the impact of such policies on performance (Monteiro et al., 2022). Furthermore, the academic literature suggests that gender diversity management and its disclosure affect each other (Zahid et al., 2020; De Masi et al. 2021; Carvajal et al., 2022). We conducted a systematic literature review (Davis et al., 2014; Tranfield et al., 2003), exploring the articles published between 2017 and 2024, that is the period between the first EU Directive on non-financial information disclosure and the recent Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. Our research outlines key developments, challenges, and emerging trends in this field. It also consolidates findings and identifies future research avenues. It also discusses how sustainability reporting and gender issues can contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future.