http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/notizie/2011-01-26
Just two weeks ago the French parliament voted a law that imposes a time limit, 40% of women in the boardrooms of the largest private companies. Well, now the government is considering the possibility of applying the same rule to the top of the administration of the state. Directors of ministries, major hospitals, prefects or ambassadors: the new measure would impose the same proportion of 40% to facilitate the career development of women.
Guégot Françoise, Member of the UMP, the center-right party in power (and the same of Nicolas Sarkozy) , will present in the coming days a report on equality between women and men in public, just commissioned by the President. And, as revealed today by the newspaper Les Echos , one of the main proposals of Guégot will own a new law that requires a minimum of 40% of women in "places with the highest responsibility '. Congresswoman calls as needed "clear objectives and obligations", referring to the general incitement carried out so far by governments. It provides that 'penalties are applied in the case of non-compliance with the rules. "
His proposal has every chance of being accepted and introduced quickly . Georges Tron, Undersecretary of Civil Service, said he was "completely agree with such a measure." He just promised to present next summer or autumn of a bill that will impose the famous ceiling of 40% between now and 4 or 5 years. On the other hand the trade unions supported the Executive (rare with this center-right). And the law Zimmermann, as it is known that already adopted in order to impose 40% of women on the boards, by the name of another Member who had proposed (Marie-Jo Zimmermann, in Paris 'cheerleaders' for women's rights) was also voted by the left opposition. As for the sanctions that Mr Guégot think it would be the freezing of funds of the administration does not respect the share rose. Or even the hiring freeze until further notice.
The current situation is largely deficient . Women represent 60.6% of civil servants (45% if we exclude the teaching staff). But of the 1,100 seats of directors, only 20.3% is occupied by them. The primary public hospitals, for example, are women only 16% of the total compared with 55% of middle managers. Is there really a difficult to reach at the top, like what happens in private companies. The law Zimmermann, against them, was finally approved on 13 January. Requires that women constitute 20% of the boards of directors by January 2014 and 40% before the beginning of 2017. In addition, within six months after the measure companies have no women in the Board of Directors must have at least one recruit. The new requirements apply to companies listed on stock exchanges in Paris and those who have at least 500 employees or who achieve a minimum turnover of EUR 50 million.
The doubts of many observers seem to have already been denied during the parliamentary debate Law . As it appeared obvious that it would be passed, companies have begun to adapt. If at the beginning of 2009 only 10.5% of the members of the board of directors were French women, in June 2010, the latest data available, had already risen to 15.3%. The first European country to move in this direction was Norway, where already 40% of the members of the board of directors are women, after a law that imposed the fee in 2003 (when they were stopped at 7%). In the meantime, moved to Spain, which also adopted a law in 2007. Objective: To reach 40% by 2015.
