In the United States, 16.6 percent of corporate board members in the United States are female, putting the U.S. behind Western counterparts, including Norway and France, which double the American rate. New laws in those two countries require public companies to have women in 40 percent or more of their board positions, while other countries including Belgium, Germany and Italy, require a 30-percent threshold.

Should Massachusetts or the U.S. have a law requiring public companies to have a certain percentage of women on their boards?