Advancement of Women in French Companies

• In Event: 1184 - Section on Organizations, Occupations, and Work Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 14. Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Career

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to analyse and investigate structural aspects of women’s promotion to management ranks in French companies along with changes in the overall economy and legal/social schemes related to the work environment, while introducing the example of Company A as a case study. Until recently, women’s promotion to the management ranks of French companies was insufficient, which was evidenced by the small percentages of women in managerial positions. The gender roles in the society were also clearly defined, with political and economic activities being considered primarily male domains. However, women’s participation in political, social, and economic domains has expanded rapidly since the mid-2000’s, thanks to proactive efforts including the adoption of policies to encourage families to have more children as a way to counteract the declining population, gender parity laws to encourage women’s participation in politics, and the introduction of quota systems to promote women’s participation in the workplace. France’s example offers numerous insights that should prove useful to Japanese efforts to promote women’s participation in the business arena; accordingly, further investigation of France’s case is warranted.

Author

• Kuniko Ishiguro, Tokyo International University Foundation