The problem of parity in the new government of Elisabeth Borne was raised on Monday. This Tuesday, it is an official instance that points to the concern. According to the High Council for Equality between Women and Men (HCE), the new executive team does not respect “real” parity.
“Real parity has not yet been achieved in key positions in public decision-making,” notes the HCE in a press release, although it welcomes the appointment of Elisabeth Borne as Prime Minister. “If we count a strict parity” with 21 women and 21 men, “behind the purely quantitative parity is also the parity of responsibility”, explains the High Council, which denounces the low proportion of women in “regular” positions. such as Justice, Interior, Economy, Defense…
In addition, the HCE observes that the distribution of positions obeys “gender biases and gender stereotypes: 4 men are at the head of the 5 sovereign ministries, 7 women at the head of the 9 social ministries (health, culture, family, childhood, etc.).
Decline in the place of women in the National Assembly
Similarly, the election of Yaël Braun-Pivet as President of the National Assembly should not mask “a decline in the place of women” for the first time since 1988, “who now occupy barely more one-third (37.3%) of the seats”. Only two of the eight permanent committees are chaired by women: the Committee for Cultural Affairs and Education and the Committee for Social Affairs, “gendered portfolios”, for the HCE.
The High Council also points the finger at political cabinets, “white areas of parity”, still “with a very strong male majority” with around 20% women, according to the HCE’s Sexism 2022 report, which is due to report in the fall. report on parity and equality in the national political sphere.