An appointing person for a public board must take such steps as it considers appropriate to encourage women to apply to become non-executive members of the public board.

A public authority to which a public board relates must take such steps as it considers appropriate to encourage women to apply to become non-executive members of the public board.

For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in subsections (1) and (2) prevents an appointing person or a public authority from taking such steps as it considers appropriate to encourage persons with other protected characteristics (within the meaning of section 4 of the Equality Act 2010) to apply to become non-executive members of the public board.