Europe 1 with AFP 3:23 p.m., March 8, 2024

Catherine Vautrin, the Minister of Labor, announced that a consultation to improve the index of professional equality between women and men would quickly take place.

In addition, she indicated that the 2023 European directive would be transposed in 2025 instead of 2026.

The Minister of Labor Catherine Vautrin announced on Friday a consultation to improve the index of professional equality between women and men, published each year for International Women's Rights Day on March 8.

“It is an instrument that can be improved,” Catherine Vautrin told Les Échos, who announced that a “consultation of social partners around this reform will be opened during the month”.

The European directive transposed from 2025

Five years after its creation, the gender equality index within companies "has not fulfilled all its promises", criticized the High Council for Equality (HCE) on Thursday in a report, proposing in particular to entrust public authorities the automation of its calculation, or even to introduce new indicators on part-time or low wages.

Visiting a Metro store on Friday morning, the minister specified that the 2023 European directive for equal pay between women and men would be transposed "in 2025".

“Normally, we have to transpose for 2026, I would like to transpose more quickly, because it is also an element that will allow us to continue to progress,” declared Catherine Vautrin. 

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Businesses need to work harder

In October, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne proposed building a new “more ambitious, more transparent” index within 18 months, anticipating the transposition of the European directive.

In 2024, the average score declared by companies with at least 50 employees remains at the level observed in 2023, with 88/100 in 2024, according to the index published Thursday.

Only 2% of companies obtained the maximum score of 100, meaning that “98% still need to make efforts to advance equality between women and men,” details a press release from the Ministry of Labor. .

The rate of companies concerned having declared their index as of March 5 increases to 77%, compared to 72% in 2023 on the same date.