Women’s participation in audit committees: a strategic factor in ESG disclosure

Objective: This research aims to verify whether there is an influence on the participation of women (gender diversity), on the audit committee, on the disclosure of ESG information of regulated and unregulated companies in [B] 3 in the period from 2013 to 2022. Theoretical Framework: The study is based on the analysis of female participation in audit committees as a strategic factor in the disclosure of ESG information based on disclosure and stakeholder theories. Methodology: This study is classified as descriptive, quantitative, documentary, involving descriptive statistics and an econometric model with panel data to achieve the objectives raised, having as population the companies listed on [B]3 SA, composed of 294 companies, totaling 653 observations. Results: The results showed that of the companies listed in the sample, only 21.49% of the companies have a committee made up of men and women, while the remaining 78.51% are made up of men only. Practical and Social Implications of the Research: This study offers significant contributions related to the role of women in ESG disclosures, from the perspective of Agency Theory, by companies that are concerned about reputational and image risks and meeting investor demands regarding sustainability, inclusion and diversity issues. Contributions: The research contributes to the understanding of how female representation on audit committees is a qualitative aspect that, if associated with a longer term of office, can contribute to the occurrence and expansion of ESG disclosures in these institutions.