Paris city hall fined $109K for appointing too many women to top positions in 2018

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo denounced the fine as 'unfair' and 'absurd'.

By AP | Updated: Dec 16, 2020, 09.14 AM IST

PARIS: Paris city hall has been fined 90,000 euros ($109,408) for having appointed too many women to top positions in 2018, in breach of a law aimed at ensuring gender balance.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo denounced the fine as "unfair" and "absurd" on Tuesday during a meeting of the city council.

In 2018, 11 women and 5 men - who represent just over 30% - were appointed to top positions in the Paris city hall, leading the Civil Service Ministry to impose the fine.

A 2013 law, meant to ensure that women get better access to senior jobs in the civil service, requires a minimum of 40% of appointments for each gender.

Since then, the law has been changed to provide for exceptions to nominations when the gender balance is respected overall.

In Paris city hall, 47% of all civil servants in senior positions are women.

"Yes, we need to promote women with determination and vigor because everywhere, France is still lagging behind (on that issue)," Hidalgo said.

Humility, Workplace Policies & Encouraging Women’s Ideas: 5 Steps To Gender Parity

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The International Labour Organisation estimates that two-thirds of the jobs lost globally due to Covid-19 belonged to women.

According to ET Evoke report, various surveys find that achieving gender parity at work can add $28 trillion or 26% to global GDP by 2025. India alone could add $770 billion or 18% to its GDP by 2025 if it enabled half of its productive workforce — women.

Here's how companies can achieve gender parity.

Research: Harvard Business Review, The Washington Post, Forbes