with a score of 88 out of 100, the index remains at the 2023 level

Professional equality between women and men remained the same in 2024 as in 2023, according to the index published each year on the occasion of March 8, International Women’s Day.

“The average score declared by companies remains at the high level observed in 2023, with a score of 88/100 in 2024”, announces the Ministry of Labor, according to the figures revealed Thursday, March 7 in the evening. In 2024, only 2% of companies achieved the maximum score of 100, i.e. “98% still need to make efforts to advance equality between women and men”.

Every year on 1er March, companies with more than 50 employees must calculate and publish their index. In 2024, the rate of companies that published their rating increased to 77% compared to 72% in 2023 as of March 5.

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Five criteria

The index is measured on 100 points with five criteria:

  • the gender pay gap (40 points);
  • the gap in annual increases (20 points);
  • the gap in promotions (15 points);
  • increases upon return from maternity leave (15 points);
  • the share of women in the ten highest earners (10 points).

When the overall score is below 75, the company must take corrective action within three years.

However, since its implementation in 2019, the “Pénicaud index” – nickname inspired by the former Minister of Labor Muriel Pénicaud – “ did not fulfill all its promises » in reducing gender gaps and their causes, estimated the High Council for Equality between Women and Men (HCE), in a report made public Thursday March 7 and submitted to the current Minister of Labor, Catherine Vautrin .

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Financial penalties, but limited scope

Some 4% of companies obtained a score below 75 this year, compared to 5% in 2023. The ministry specifies that 77 companies “have a score below 75 for four years and are therefore penalized”the financial penalty being up to 1% of the payroll.

Concerning the indicator relating to increases upon return from maternity leave, more than 6% of companies, or more than 1,500 of them, obtained the worst score, 0.

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Parity in the ten best remuneration stagnates with a score of 5 out of 10, with 28% of companies reaching the maximum score of 10, while 32% of companies have fewer than two women in the ten best remunerations.

The HCE has proposed ways to improve this French rating-sanction system, which, in fact, has, for the moment, only a limited scope.

The World with AFP

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