French government pushes for progress in Gender Equality for its 5 million public employees
Despite some reservations, French trade unions have signed a new agreement on equality between men and women in the public services in France. This is the concrete outcome of cornerstones, which were discussed during a major conference with all key stakeholders in July 2012. The new framework agreement is a breakthrough for 5 million employees in France and an unrivalled initiative in the EMEA region. The country has already made significant progress on the numbers of women in management in recent years and now strengthens its position in gender equality in the Public sphere.
The signing of the joint agreement of the French government and corresponding trade unions is a robust foundation for the whole public sector in France to embark on 15 newly adopted initiatives that combat existing gender stereotypes and foster gender equality in a consistent way. The totality of the programme will reach out to an amazing 5 million officials working for the government, local authorities and hospitals. The official announcement particularly highlighted three initiatives: a strive for more balanced representation of both men and women in the bodies of social dialogue, a reduction of the gender pay gap, the verification of the non-discriminatory nature of recruitment processes as well as a in-depth reflection of the reasons why women have not been promoted to higher levels as frequently as their male colleagues. Another key point of the framework agreement is an advanced right for parental leave for all employees. In order to enhance the balance of work and private life, work time accounts shall be introduced. In addition, an annual report on gender equality including an action plan going forward has been made a mandatory part of the agreement. The framework agreement also includes an element to combat sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace.
“This agreement is a result of a long process of social dialogue”, says Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault when announcing the new framework. However, there was still some concern expressed over a potential lack of concrete and binding action plans or budgeted resources for the initiatives proposed. Regardless, the comprehensiveness and scope of the framework agreement makes it a landmark in the European landscape of Public employers.
