Board Gender Diversity and ESG Disclosure in Emerging Market : Systematic Review

Purpose: This systematic literature review aims to synthesize empirical evidence on the relationship between board gender diversity and ESG disclosure in context of emerging markets. Specifically, the study seeks to analyse the strength of this relationship, identify the theoretical perspectives employed in prior research, explore relevant contextual moderators, and highlight avenues for future research. Design/Methodology/Approach: This review follows the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and employs a narrative synthesis approach. Empirical and peer-reviewed studies published between 2021 and 2025 were retrieved from two electronic databases, Scopus and Web of Science. After carefully screening 2,400 articles, the authors selected 25 studies for detailed analysis. Findings: The evidence from the literature indicated that most of studies, 22 of 25 reported positive relationship. Although, two found negative relationship, whereas one indicated insignificant relationship. These inconsistent results reflect the critical impact of cultural norms, institutional quality and regional dynamics in shaping the relationship between board gender diversity and ESG disclosure across the emerging markets. Implications/Originality/Value: This study will assist managers, policymakers, investors, and academics in understanding the importance of female representation on corporate boards as a means of improving ESG disclosure practices. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic literature review (SLR) that exclusively examines this relationship across emerging-market countries, where institutional frameworks are generally weaker.