Women in the Workforce

Female labor participation reached 70%, approaching male rates, but inequalities persist:

Progress and Persistent Gaps

Achievements: - Educational parity (women now 60% of university graduates) - Legal protections against discrimination - Parental leave and childcare supporting working mothers - Board quotas achieving 45% female representation

Remaining Challenges: - Gender pay gap of 15.4% (9% unexplained by characteristics) - Occupational segregation in traditional roles - Glass ceiling limiting executive advancement - Part-time work concentration among women

Policy Responses

France implements ambitious gender equality policies: - Mandatory company reporting on gender pay gaps - Sanctions for non-compliance with equality measures - Paternity leave extended to 28 days - Investment in early childhood education

Sophie Martin, the dairy farmer we met earlier, observes rural realities:

"In farming, women always worked but rarely owned. Now I'm the registered farmer, not just 'farmer's wife.' My daughters see possibilities their grandmothers couldn't imagine. Progress is real but incomplete."