The deputies adopted Wednesday a text which imposes a minimum threshold of women in the management committees of companies with more than 1,000 employees: at least 30% in 2027, and 40% by 2030. It is a question of allowing time to certain almost exclusively male sectors, such as construction, to bring more women into the workforce.

It is rare enough to be underlined: a text defended by a LREM deputy Marie-Pierre Rixain, and supported by the government, was voted unanimously in the National Assembly on Wednesday evening. This text provides for the establishment of quotas in companies to strengthen the place of women in management bodies. The use of quotas continues to be debated, but MEPs considered that it was necessary to go through this in order to achieve an effective presence of women at the head of companies.

Just ten years ago, the Copé-Zimmerman law imposed at least 40% of women on company boards.

This time, it is the floor below that is concerned, that of operational departments, which are also called executive committees or management committees.

In 2027, companies with more than 1,000 employees must have at least 30% of women among their senior executives.

And in 2030, the bar will be raised to 40%.

Companies that are not in the nails will be exposed to the payment of a financial penalty of up to 1% of the payroll. 

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Allow time for certain sectors to become feminized

However, the labor inspectorate will have to take into account the efforts made to approach these quotas before considering a sanction.

Indeed, some companies are leaving from afar for reasons that are not always their fault: still too few women, for example, choose to pursue a career in the construction industry and in certain sectors of industry.

And often, it is at the source that we must act, in other words at the level of engineering schools whose promotions, in certain specialties, are still very masculinized.

This is why the text voted on Wednesday evening by the deputies gives time to the companies to put themselves in working order.

But in six years, the quota rule will apply.

All parliamentary groups combined, the deputies considered that this is the only solution to obtain results.