On Thursday, California legislators passed a bill that would require publicly held companies in California to have at least one woman on their board of directors by the end of 2019, with the number of required women adjusting in the future depending on the size of the board. Companies in violation of the law would be fined.

Though there are certainly issues facing women in the workforce, this bill is not a solution. It is not equality to simply give women things.

Implementing this quota will ultimately be harmful because it will affect how seriously women are taken.

Unfortunately, people will wonder if the woman is qualified to be there or if she is simply there to fill a quota: Every woman will question if her promotion was because she was qualified or because of her sex, while every man will question if the woman has actually earned her spot and deserves to be there.

Yeah, no thanks. I want to earn my place on a board because of hard work and merit, not be given a spot because of my gender. https://t.co/5Ij9Pb7JF8 — Kimberly Corban (@Kimberly_Corban) September 1, 2018

If California enacts the bill, it would be the first state to require gender diversity — though other states may quickly follow suit.

The bill next heads to Governor Jerry Brown for his signature, who has until September 30. Let’s hope he doesn’t sign the bill into law.

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent those of any other individual or entity. Follow Sarah on Twitter: @sarahmquinlan.