Gender Parity Is Not Decreed, It Must Be Earned – article by Anne-Laure Pams and Kadia Sylla Moisson for FocusRH

We are almost there! 45.4% of board seats in large companies in France are held by women, making the country a world leader in the feminization of these roles. On this specific point, the 2025 situation in France is enviable compared to the past or to many other countries today.

But let’s not celebrate too quickly: although women represent 49% of the workforce, they account for only 28% of executive committees (COMEX and CODIR) in large companies, just 12% of leaders in SMEs and mid-sized companies, and a mere 6.25% of the 80 CEO or chair positions in CAC40 companies. These figures are improving—but too slowly, and they remain far from equitable.

Legislation and Corporate Policies: Limited Progress

How can we do better?

On the legal front, French legislation can only go so far beyond the Copé-Zimmermann and Rixain laws, unless an overly strict regulatory framework is imposed—one that risks being counterproductive, tying promotions to gender rather than talent and competence.

On the corporate side, many initiatives in recruitment and internal mobility have enabled progress that likely would not have occurred otherwise. However, it is clear that some programs under the banner of “diversity and inclusion” today are more about marketing and trend-following than genuine cultural transformation.
Beware of announcements without follow-through, of transforming International Women’s Day into an annual, symbolic event with no lasting impact, or of a gender “battle” that ultimately benefits no one. The risk of backlash is real, as already seen in some contexts, particularly in the United States.

Read the full article on the FocusRH website.