In an article published in Zepros Territorial, the number one news source for local authorities, Thaima Samman and Sabina Lindstedt look back at the findings of a study of regional HR policies promoting gender equality in the workplace conducted by the association Régions de France and Eurogroup Consulting and released last March.
The current challenges to integration rights and policies on the other side of the Atlantic serves as a reminder that gains in equality can always be eroded and that we must always be ready to defend and extend them. Despite the strengthening of the legislative and regulatory framework (gender parity, Copé-Zimmermann, Sauvadet, and other laws), there is still work to be done to reach an acceptable balance. Proactive measures and initiatives by both the public and private sectors to fix these issues therefore remain essential.
The study outlines public policies implemented by the regional local government in the area of professional equality that could serve as a model for businesses and other local authorities. In the regions, 38% of management-level positions are held by women, compared with 33% in departments and 30% in metropolitan areas. Other measures have been taken to round out the legal framework, such as support for parenting, the fight against gender-based violence, and the promotion of a culture of equality.
However, soft obstacles remain, such as unequal division of household responsibilities, lack of networking culture among women, gender stereotypes… A stronger career culture needs to be built, in particular through the development of more mentoring programs and networks for women.
The goals of eliminating the “care debt” and achieving true equality call for an ambitious, sustainable, and coordinated commitment on the part of all public actors.
