SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California has become the first state to require publicly traded companies to include women on their boards of directors, according to a law signed Sunday by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The measure requires at least one female director on each board of California-based corporations by the end of next year. Companies would need up to three female directors by the end of 2021, depending on the number of seats.

The Democratic governor referenced the objections and legal concerns that the law has raised.

“I don’t minimize the potential flaws that indeed may prove fatal to its ultimate implementation,” Brown wrote in a signing statement. “Nevertheless, recent events in Washington, D.C. — and beyond — make it crystal clear that many are not getting the message.”

Some European countries, including Norway and France, already mandate that corporate boards include women.

Having more women on boards will make companies more successful, said state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, who authored the bill, SB 826.

Women tend to be more collaborative and are better at multitasking, the Santa Barbara Democrat said.