Now, France will soon debate a bill phasing in a female quota for boardrooms as the country strives to get more women into positions of power in business. If the law is passed, it could be made mandatory to set aside 40 percent of spots in the boardroom to women.

Spain and the Netherlands have already passed similar laws for female quotas. Belgium, Britain, Germany and Sweden are considering legislation. In the European Union, less than 10 percent of the board members at the top 300 companies were women in 2008, versus 8 percent in 2004. That's according to the European Professional Women's Network.

In the U.S., roughly 15 percent of the board members of the Fortune 500 companies are women. In China women hold roughly 5 percent of board seats, in Japan, just 1.4 percent. In today's Straight from the Street we asked people here if they think more needs to be done in CHINA to get women into positions of power in the business world.