Parity at the top of companies: attention to bypass strategies (report) – The Express

The High Council for Equality between Women and Men (HCEFH) and the Higher Council for Professional Equality (CSEP) were responsible for assessing the application of the laws of 2011 and 2012, in particular to increase the proportion of women on boards of directors and supervisory boards.

Their report highlights that in the private sector, implementation of parity is “ pretty well followed in listed companies “, mainly the largest market capitalization.

In companies of the CAC40, the proportion of women on boards has tripled since 2009 to reach 34.1% in 2015.

For the most capitalized listed companies ” France now instead be the leading country of the European Union “, welcomed the Secretary of State for women’s Rights, Pascale Boistard, at the presentation of the report, while retaining “ cause for concern .”

The share of women decreases with the market capitalization and average for all listed companies, this share is 27.8%.

If the interim target of 20% was achieved in 2014 “ without major difficulty ‘,’ it is different from the 40% target for 2017 “, the report says. Especially for medium-sized enterprises, for which data are lacking, but feel they do not yet have a sufficient pool of administrators.

“ bypass strategies are sometimes already in place “, he points out: reduction in the number of board members to increase the share of statistically women, change in legal status of the company …

by 2017, 1,265 of directors mandates should be open to women in private companies.

The targets of 20% and 40% apply to the advice of more than 8 members. For smaller, the gap between women and men must be a maximum of two.

In unlisted companies covered by the law (from 50 million euros turnover and 500 employees), the proportion of women on boards was only 14.2% in 2015.

for the public sector, it is even more difficult to measure changes.

“ No to whether companies are meeting their legal obligations in this matter nor is supposed to provide such monitoring, sanctions are unlikely to be “, the report says. Sanctions such as the nullity of appointments or suspension of attendance fees are indeed foreseen in case of non compliance with legal obligations.

Pascale Boistard agreed with “ in many ways ” the analysis of the report, for example “ the need to inform ” on bonds Legal or importance of “ strengthen the instruments of measurement, monitoring and control .”