Ophélie Artaud / Photo credit: Morgan Bisson / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 12:40 p.m., January 22, 2024

The High Council for Equality between Women and Men published this Monday its sixth annual report on the state of sexism in France.

With a pessimistic observation: sexism is still well anchored, in all spheres of society.

Gender stereotypes also continue to be reinforced.

Sexism is not weakening in France, in all spheres of society.

This is what the sixth annual report on the state of sexism in France reveals, published this Monday by the High Council for Equality between Women and Men (HCE).

“Sexism begins at home, continues at school and explodes online,” the report said.

The differentiation of treatment between women and men and gender stereotypes thus begin at a very young age, and continue throughout life, from school to the world of work.

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According to the HCE, inequalities begin in childhood: two thirds of women believe, for example, that they were educated differently, or that they did not receive the same toys based on their gender (only 3% of men received dolls, and 4 % of women, small cars).

More generally, 21% of respondents believe that they have not been educated in the same way at all levels, because of their gender;

and 62% of girls aged 15 to 24 consider that they are not educated in the same way as their brothers.

There were also many more women who participated in domestic chores when they were children (three quarters of women compared to 42% of men).

74% of women have never considered pursuing a scientific career

Sexism “crystallizes” at school, then explains the HCE, where more than one in two people questioned consider that women and men do not experience the same treatment.

This is all the more visible when choosing a career path, where 74% of women say they have never considered pursuing studies or a scientific career (compared to 41% for men).

The report also mentions sexism in schools: more than half of those questioned (51%) say that sexist situations have not been condemned by teachers.

From this observation follows another: two thirds of those questioned have never followed a single session of sexual and emotional education, writes the HCE, during which the deconstruction of gender stereotypes is addressed.

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Finally, the HCE report focuses on digital technology, where sexism is “amplified”.

First revealing figure: for 72% of women aged 15 to 24 and more than half of the overall population, women and men are not treated in the same way on social networks.

Content posted on the main platforms reinforces gender stereotypes (this is for example the case for 68% of the most viewed content on Instagram): women are often represented in private environments, with a strong injunction to maternity.

According to the HCE report, there are many women in their maternal role, pregnant or with young children.

90% of pornographic content presents violence against women

The HCE once again denounces “the ravages” of the pornographic industry, 90% of whose content “presents unsimulated acts of physical, sexual and verbal violence against women”.

Especially since according to the report, only half of those questioned find the image of women conveyed by porn problematic, and 64% of 25-34 year olds declare that pornography makes them want to reproduce the sexual gestures observed, and that we must not demonize it.

Gender stereotypes are also being reinforced: masculinist clichés continue to progress, with the predominant idea that men must take care of their family financially to be respected in society (70% of men and 63% of women think this) , that a man must know how to fight or have many sexual partners.

Feminine stereotypes spread the idea that women must be serious, discreet, have children and few sexual partners.

For the HCE, we must now “tackle the roots of sexism”.

For the council, this involves three axes: better educating young people about equality between women and men, regulating digital content and sanctioning sexist comments or acts.