Companies commitment to gender equality

Despite the progress made since the middle of the 20th century, women continue to suffer from discrimination on the grounds of gender in all regions of the world. The inequalities are particularly significant in the professional context.

The facts – Worldwide
 

• Wage gap

Women earn on average 20% less than men.

• Harassment

Between 30% and 50% of women are victims of sexual harassment at work.

• Women leaders

Only 4% of CEOs and presidents of boards of directors are women.

The barriers to equality
 

• Restrictive legislation

In 2018, 2.7 billion women worldwide do not have the same employment choices as men.

• Difficulties in gaining access to autonomy

2/3 of illiterate people in the world are women.

• Stereotypes

Women spend 4 hours and 25 minutes in unpaid activities.
At the current rate, it will take 209 years to close the gap with men.
Only 35% of girls worldwide study science subjects.

And yet…

For the United Nations, gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but also one of the pillars of sustainable development.

Women represent half of humanity.

Many studies show that more equality reduces poverty, promotes economic development and is a performance factor companies.

The levers of action

French companies represent 5.5 million employees abroad in more than 190 countries. They can contribute to the dissemination of responsible practices and a culture of gender equality, by promoting equal pay, women's hierarchical progression and the reporting of gender-based violence.

• Governance of the company

Involve the company's general management and their local correspondents in the gender equality strategy and allocate the necessary resources to it.

• Social dialogue

Promote the negotiation and monitoring of international framework agreements, with the support of the social partners.

• Co-construction

Establish partnerships and involve all the company's stakeholders (NGOs, local women's associations, etc.) to co-construct the equality strategy.

• Supply chain

Deploy equality actions among subsidiaries, suppliers, subcontractors and the entire sphere of influence of the company.

• Labelling and certification

Engage in voluntary initiatives (labels, certifications, etc.) to mobilize internally and communicate externally.

• An environment conducive to employment

Facilitate women's access to employment by taking action on health, safety and childcare.

• The fight against stereotypes

The media and advertising, political discourse, education... and men have a role to play in the representation and visibility of women in the workplace.