Gender equality in France: women “work for free” from Wednesday

Published on : 11/03/2021 – 00:47

Women begin, Wednesday, November 3 at 9:22 am, to “work for free” because of persistent wage inequalities, according to the feminist newsletter Les Glorieuses. This symbolic date and time were calculated, as every year since 2015, from European statistics on the pay gap between women and men in France. This year, the difference reached 16.5%, against 15.5% last year, with a date then determined on November 4 at 4:16 p.m.

“The wage inequality is widening”, laments in a press release the economist Rebecca Amsellem, founder of Glorieuses, for whom “concrete measures must be put in place today in order to avoid waiting 2234 to see the birth of the ‘equal pay’.

In a series of proposals, submitted to candidates for the 2022 presidential election, the Glorieuses demand that companies’ access to subsidies and public contracts be conditional on progress in this area.

It is also important to “revalue the wages of jobs where women are the most numerous”, for example nurses and midwives, insist the Glorieuses, who also plead for paternity leave to last as long as maternity leave.

“Yes, equality costs money,” observed Rebecca Amsellem, but “the same goes for saving the aviation industry. And it’s a choice the government is able to make for its citizens and citizens. “

Political and union support

To make Internet users aware of pay inequalities, the Glorieuses posted the hashtag # 3Novembre9h22 on social networks.

Under this keyword, the CFDT asked on Twitter and in a press release “the effective upgrading of jobs mainly occupied by women”, referring to so-called “second line” jobs. “Women cannot be 75% equal to men. Equality is 100%!”, Argued the first French union.

Political figures have also spoken on Twitter, such as Valérie Pécresse, who hopes to represent the right in the presidential election. The president of the Île-de-France region thanked the Glorieuses for “reminding us that the road to real equality is still long”.

On Wednesday around 9:22 am, MPs Paula Forteza and Albane Gaillot will present a “last-chance budget to finally advance gender equality”.

With AFP