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Organizations and gender equality

The month of March, dedicated to women’s rights, has just ended. We take this opportunity to note the acceleration of important actions, put in place since the 21st century, over the last two years. 

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#Organisations #ODD #EqualityWomenMan

The month of March, dedicated to women’s rights, has just ended. We take this opportunity to note the acceleration of important actions, put in place since the 21st century, over the last two years.

The fifth goal of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”, it also addresses gender issues. In 2014, 143 out of 193 countries guarantee equality between men and women in their Constitution, including France. Organizations such as associations, companies and local authorities have a key role to play (see the graphic below):

 

Associations

International Women’s Day has been celebrated every year on March 8 since 1911. In 2020, about 60,000 people gathered in Paris, according to the organizers.

Since 2014, the FETE association has been organizing the “Semaine de la Mixité des Formations et des Métiers”, which aims to promote the professional mix around multiple workshops, debates and visits in association with all the local structures and companies of the Burgundy region. Other events are organized in this sense: on March 5, the Women’s Foundation inaugurated the first place dedicated to equality between women and men in Paris (debates, café bar, association headquarters, exhibitions, etc.) and on March 8, the Festival Debout Citoyennes, organized by the association Eklore, brought together more than 1,000 people in Paris, paying tribute to 100 women who accompany society in its ecological and humanist transition.

We all know that associations have their importance in the management of this SDO, but unfortunately we cannot mention them all. In this time of confinement, many associations fear a resurgence of violence against women. We remind you that 3919 is the national hotline number operating 7 days a week, for women victims of violence, their families and friends and the professionals concerned. It is managed by the National Federation Solidarity Women, supported by the Ministry in charge of Women’s Rights and accompanied by national associations acting for equality between women and men, women’s rights and fighting against sexist and sexual violence against women, such as the network Solidarity Women.

Gender equality is increasingly enforced thanks to the actions of numerous NGOs, associations, movements and networks.

Public functions

Various state bodies carry out numerous annual studies, so that the improvement of gender equality can be more noticeable.

It is first of all at the level of higher education where we note that the share of women aged 25 to 34 years old graduates is 51% in 2018, compared to 42.5% for men according to the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. While in 2018 was published the share of women in the workforce of the three civil services in management positions based on 2015 data (source: Secretary of State for Equality between Women and Men and the Fight against Discrimination):

  • In the State Civil Service: 32% 
  • In the Territorial Public Service: 29% 
  • In the Hospital Civil Service: 47% 

Finally, it is important to recall that the Council of European Municipalities and Regions launched the Charter for Equality in 2006, inviting local and regional authorities to use their powers and partnerships in favor of greater equality for all.

The companies

The State authorities (the National Assembly and the Senate) have also carried out various actions to reduce this gap between women and men: the readjustment of Law No. 2014-873 in March 2019 for real equality between women and men to add the following 3 points:

– Access to public procurement: compliance by companies with their obligations in terms of professional equality.

– Gender diversity in the professions, an integral part of the policy for equality between women and men.

– New area of action created: occupational health and safety.

Then, a graph based on figures from 2015 from INSEE, is published in 2019 by the Secretary of State for Equality between Women and Men and the Fight against Discrimination: the wage income gap between men and women is 24% for an equal position.

On March 4, 2020, Equileap conducted a survey on the fight against gender inequality in 255 companies in ten European countries: French companies in the CAC40 (among the criteria examined are the number of women on the board of directors, salary gaps, recruitment strategies and parental leave policies) came out on top with a score of 52/100 points, ahead of Sweden (49/100) and Spain (46/100). This position can be explained by the existence of a 40% quota for women on boards of directors, as well as a higher female activity rate than in other European countries (Source: Le Figaro).

Although France has a good track record in terms of gender equality in France, many studies still show that not enough progress has been made. The government has also taken measures such as pointing the finger at the least egalitarian companies in terms of hiring and pay. These companies have three years to reduce these differences, failing which they will be subject to a financial penalty in addition to the penalty imposed under the law on real equality between women and men. Finally, the government is encouraging companies to become more involved with associations such as Jamais Sans Elles.

Find associations and ideas in favor of equality between women and men on the CitizenWave application!

Don’t hesitate to enrich our open lists which are just waiting for new ideas on this UN objective.

 

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02-04-2020

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