Yes, says the Norwegian government which has a law insisting that 40 per cent of company directors must be female. And this is isn’t just about equality - it argues that the economy will benefit as well.Yes, says the leader of the opposition in the UK. David Cameroon has announced if he gets into power, then at least a third of his cabinet will be women. (At the moment, 6 of his 28-strong shadow cabinet are women).

We need to do something, says a leading female Japanese businesswoman. In an interview she has detailed the multiple problems that women in Japan have at work. Forget glass ceilings, there is ‘an iron ceiling - with a few holes in it’.

Meanwhile, there’s a conference in Brussels this week which wants to increase the role of women in conflict resolution (and make the world more stable in the process it claims). And the UN wants more to help women in the developing world to contribute more to the income of their families by providing micro-credit.

Would all these ambitions be helped if quotas were set and women received positive discrimination?

Is it time inequalities were rectified by legislation?

Would such positive discrimination help all of society?

Or should your country be a meritocracy where every job goes to the best person regardless of their sex?