Few women at the top of the big French banks (AFP / Cléa PÉCULIER)
“The representation of women (at the head of European banks) is gradually improving” but “too slowly” even though their presence in management bodies contributes to better profitability, indicated the European Banking Authority (EBA) in a report released Tuesday.
Having studied the situation of 662 credit institutions and 129 investment companies, the institution noted that only 11.3% of the 689 general managers were women (compared to 8.5% in 2018).
Furthermore, more than half of these establishments (56%) do not have a female executive director.
The EBA also noted that more than half (58%) of credit institutions where the executive management is female shows higher than average profitability.
Women leaders receive on average 9.4% less compensation than their male counterparts, the study further notes.
Despite the binding legislation in force, a “significant proportion” of these establishments, i.e. 27%, have not adopted a diversity policy (compared to 41.6% in 2018).
For their part, French banks are seeking to feminize their staffs and have made “real efforts” and “real progress” in this direction in recent years, recently assured the director general of the French Banking Federation (FBF) Maya. Atig in an interview with AFP.
The latter explains that obstacles remain: first, the age at which candidates access these functions, “around 55, 60 years old”, which reflects “the recruitment pools of the grandes écoles 30 years ago, which were very far from parity”. And on the other hand, “men having often occupied more varied positions of responsibility in their careers, it is an asset to climb the last step”, according to her.
© 2023 AFP
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