In a new report prepared for Holyrood ministers, plans are outlined that could even see companies without women in senior positions disqualified from competing for jobs entirely.

The report, entitled Increasing Representation of Women on Private Sector Boards In Scotland and prepared for the government by researchers at the University of Glasgow, found many companies, particularly smaller and medium-sized firms, did not regard gender-balanced boards as an important issue.

In a series of recommendations, it said the government and other public bodies had “the potential to use public sector procurement to prompt companies to think about their board composition”.

It added: “Research has found that this has been an effective approach to getting companies to change their practices in relation to other policy areas such as recruiting disadvantaged young people. The Scottish Government should issue guidance to public agencies on how the issue of board diversity could be incorporated into procurement, including giving examples of good practice.”

The Scottish Conservatives said forcing organisations to strike a gender balance on boards was “not the right way to go”.

Scottish Conservative South of Scotland MSP Rachael Hamilton said: “It will only serve to make women feel like they’re only there because of their gender, not on merit.

“That might have statistical results in the short-term, but in the long run it won’t help at all.”

She added: “Fifty-fifty quotas are a crude way of trying to address this issue.

“Instead, we should be focusing on childcare, flexible working and addressing negative attitudes in the workplace.”

A government spokeswoman said: “We are committed to improving the representation of women on boards. This research highlights the barriers to improving the gender balance and broader diversity of boards as well as approaches to help to break down those barriers.

“The research will help to inform our work going forward and we will consider all its recommendations and conclusions.”