ANALYSIS
Social aid, taxation: the State promotes the economic dependence of women, according to a report
Beyond the professional world, the couple is also the place of economic inequalities between men and women.
RFI/Charlotte Herzog
Text by: Aurore Lartigue Follow
5 mins
In a note published this Friday, February 3, the Observatory for the economic emancipation of women dissects the way in which French social policies and taxation tend to disadvantage women.
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We knew
that women were victims of inequalities at work
, particularly in terms of pay.
We knew that within the couple, the sharing, still often unequal, of domestic tasks could constitute an economic obstacle for them.
But this time, it is the state and its social and fiscal policies that are singled out.
“
Far from reducing inequalities, the social system, which is based on an outdated reality of couples, is thus in a position to aggravate them.
This is the paradox highlighted by Anne-Cécile Malifert, president of the Women's Foundation, in the introduction to a "note" from the Observatory for the economic emancipation of women (officially launched on Thursday February 2) entitled
" The economic dependence of women, a matter of state”
.
Not only do these mechanisms, which are supposed to compensate for inequalities, not do so.
But on the contrary, they further aggravate the situation of women's dependence, demonstrate the two authors of the report, Lucile Peytavin, historian specializing in women's rights (
The cost of virility
) and Lucile Quillet, journalist and expert on women's work (
Le Price to pay, what the straight couple costs women
).
A perverse effect recently brought to light with the battle for
deconjugalization of the Disabled Adult Allowance (AHH)
.
The payment of this aid was previously conditional on the income of the spouse.
As a result, the disabled person could find themselves deprived of their own income and therefore be totally economically dependent on their partner.
“ Obsolete
”
family patterns
"
We were very surprised to see that the way the State considers the couple today is completely outdated
"
,
underlines Lucile Quillet, during the presentation of this note.
These “ obsolete
” family patterns
on which the State relies continue to base social policies on a principle: that of “
conjugal solidarity
”.
A principle which nevertheless has limits, because, the authors remind us, “
the couple is not a neutral place
”, it can be the terrain of relations of domination.
“
We are still in the 1960s,
ironically the co-author of the report:
it is considered that everyone gets married, that everyone does so under the regime of community of property and puts everything in common.
»
This vision of the couple may seem “naive” and out of step with the reality of couples.
But it has serious consequences.
“
For many social benefits and individual social minima,
details the report,
the resources of the entire household are taken into account to establish eligibility for this aid and the calculation of its amount.
If you have a very low income, but your spouse earns a good living, the State assumes that marital solidarity applies
: you may not be helped because your partner can take care of you.
This creates a dynamic of gender dependency, given that women earn the least in three-quarters of couples
.
And to perpetuate a sexist prejudice where the woman is placed in the position of "
beggar
" and the man of "
benefactor
".
The examples are numerous.
This is the case of the RSA, the amount of which varies according to the composition of the household.
When we know that women earn less than their spouse in 75% of couples, taking the higher income into account will automatically have the effect of lowering the amount of this aid.
Ditto with the activity bonus, the beneficiaries of which are women in 57% of cases.
However, it is intended to encourage the economic activity and work of an individual person.
Another example put forward: the case of civil service survivors' pensions.
"
To receive your deceased's survivor's pension, you will not have to get back into a relationship, otherwise your rights will be purely and simply abolished
", warns the report.
In the case of private pensions, there is no need to swear fidelity to life and death in this case: the pension is maintained, but beware, it may be reduced if the household's resources exceed 37,500 euros raw.
Admittedly, this applies to both men and women, but in fact, women represent the vast majority of widows and therefore of the beneficiaries of these survivors' pensions.
Mechanically, they are therefore the ones who suffer from these rules.
Tax gift for men, overtaxed women
The French tax system is also to the disadvantage of women.
"
The man makes tax optimization to the detriment of women and society
", sums up Lucile Peytavin.
Qualified as a “familyist”, he calculates the tax by adding the incomes of the two partners.
"
This pooling has the effect of lowering the tax rate for those who earn the most and increasing it for those who earn the least
," notes the report.
Women are therefore still the “
big losers ”
“, analyze the co-authors, their income remaining 42% lower on average than that of men.
According to INSEE, the tax rate for men under the marital regime drops by thirteen points on average, while that for women increases by six points when compared with what they would pay if they were single.
And according to various studies, the cost of this "
tax gift
" made to men is estimated between 11 and 28 billion euros.
An injustice that could easily be corrected.
Indeed, in France, taxes are pooled by default: the levy rate is the same for both partners.
However, in the majority of European countries, the tax authorities apply an individualized rate, ie everyone pays according to their income.
This is also the advice given by the authors: while waiting for the law to change, the tax site allows you to choose to individualize your tax rate by yourself by unchecking the “common tax rate” box.
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