Gender Equality Week 2023

Ten years after the French Assemblée Nationale adopted the Copé-Zimmerman law, which imposed quotas to promote a balanced representation of women on corporate boards, France now has the highest levels of women on boards in large listed companies : 46% of women in 2021; more than Norway and well ahead of Germany and the United States.

And yet, the law appears to have reached its limits today as these figures only concern large companies. The impacts of the law have not “trickled down” to smaller companies as expected, and far too few women occupy management roles. [1]

While we no longer question the essential role female entrepreneurship has to play in the economic and social development of our society, in most countries, women entrepreneurs are still fewer than men. [2]

A few facts and figures:

• Since 2008, just 5.4% of French start-ups have been created by women and 10% by a team of both men and women. The percentage of women involved in the founding teams of start-ups rose from 4% in 2008 to 6% in 2018. [3]
• In the digital sector, investment companies continue to prefer start-ups founded by men, representing 90% of funds raised in 2020. [4]
• More generally, “93% of French people feel that men and women are not treated the same in at least one of area of society: work, school, family, public arena…” [5]

Université Paris-Saclay has an entrepreneurship programme for its students, via the Entrepreneurship Diploma (DU), and the local student entrepreneur network, Pépite Peips. The university is also in contact with its graduate entrepreneurs via the Alumni Network - an active community which regularly meets, e.g. for the inauguration of a coworking space for student entrepreneurs on the Orsay campus.

This year, the university is giving centre stage to female entrepreneurship for students and graduates with the Paris-Saclay-Boston Women's Entrepreneurship Class 2023. In collaboration with the Consulate General of France in Boston and with the support of Northeastern University, Servier, Sanofi, Sequens, Ipsen and Veolia, participants of the initiative will take part in a week-long trip to Boston, as part of a drive to encourage and promote women in the creation of start-ups.

[1] According to Report No 281207 on the Copé-Zimmermann law:  https://www.vie-publique.fr/rapport/281207-bilan-de-la-loi-cope-zimmermann-femme-dans-les-conseils-d-administration

[2] Source: https://bpifrance-creation.fr/institutionnel/place-femmes-paysage-creation-dentreprise

[3] According to the poll by the "Sista" collective, in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group

[4] According to data published by the French Digital Council (CNUM) on 03/03/21

[5] According to the annual report published by the French High Council for Gender Equality (HCE) on sexism in France

The programme

Throughout the month of March, various events and actions will take place:

• Trip to Boston for the winners of the Paris-Saclay-Boston Women's Entrepreneurship Class 2023: 16-22 March

• Tuesday 7 March: University course conference on “Constructing and deconstructing gender in education and training” with Farinaz Fassa, Professor at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Lausanne and member of the Centre for Gender Studies. From 6.30pm-8pm, for students at ENS Paris-Saclay, registration required. Where? Grand amphithéâtre at ENS Paris-Saclay, 4 Av. des Sciences, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette. More information.

• Wednesday 8 March:

Webinar as part of the Entrepreneurship Lunchtimes series. 12.30-1.30pm, registration required.

Screening of the film, Persepolis, and distribution of reusable sanitary products, for students at the Orsay Technical University Institute (IUT), 12.15-1.45pm. Where? Amphitéâtre Coudane, Orsay IUT, 13 Av. des Sciences, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette.

Coffee, workshops and distributions of reusable sanitary products for scholarship students at AgroParisTech. Where? AgroParisTech, 22 place de l'Agronomie, 91120 Palaiseau.

• Thursday 9 March:

First interactive theatre session with l’atelier Cigale, 9-11am. For students at the Institut d’Optique Graduate School. Where? Institut d'Optique Graduate School, 2 Av. Augustin Fresnel, 91120 Palaiseau.

Webinar “Speak up, stand up!”, 1-2pm. Webinar organised for students and staff on public speaking, with tools and tips on how to improve in public speaking, particularly in the world of work. Led by Solène Abboud, former student at the Jean Monnet Faculty and public speaking coach. Click here to follow the webinar.

Speed meeting (for female secondary school students only) with lab visits and a snack, organised by Sylvie Lebrun (lecturer at the Institut d'Optique Graduate School), 3-6.15pm, registration required. Where? Institut d'Optique Graduate School, 2 Av. Augustin Fresnel, 91120 Palaiseau.

Distribution of reusable sanitary products for students at the Orsay IUT. Where? Orsay IUT, 13 Av. des Sciences, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette. 1-2pm.

• Tuesday 14 March: workshop led by Mr Abarca Ibarra from the Chatenay-Malabry police station, on street harassment: how to identify it and how to react. Organised by Chloe Stombellini, Kenza Tahiri, Jautei Hassani, Cassandra Athus, Audrey Noel, Asma Badiaga and Lucy Wen (marketing students). 10-11am. Where? Sceaux IUT, room 356, 8 avenue Cauchy, 92330 Sceaux.

• Wednesday 15 March: Self-defence class, given by Stéphanie Dumont from the association, KMPALAISEAU, to learn how to defend yourself if you are attacked. Organised by Chloe Stombellini, Kenza Tahiri, Jautei Hassani, Cassandra Athus, Audrey Noel, Asma Badiaga and Lucy Wen (marketing students). 9-10.15am. Where? Sceaux IUT, room 356, 8 avenue Cauchy, 92330 Sceaux.

• Thursday 16 March: seminar on sports performance, “Performance, diversity and equality: resisting gender categories”, organised by Catherine Achin (Professor of Political Sciences at Université Paris Dauphine) and Anne Schmitt (lecturer at Université Paris-Saclay). 2-4pm. Where? Paris-Saclay Faculty of Medicine, 63 Rue Gabriel Péri, 94270 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre.

• Thursday 23 March: distribution of reusable sanitary products with the association, Fières et Soeurs. For students at the Faculty of Law, Economics & Management. 12-2pm. Where? Jean Monnet Faculty, the entrance hall of building B, 54 Boulevard Desgranges, 92330 Sceaux.

• Thursday 30 March:

Seminar on “Consent before MeToo. Choosing history as a tool to understanding current SGBV”, organised by Maëlle Bernard, author of a History of Female Consent (une Histoire du consentement féminin), speaker on violence against women and Psychology student. For students and staff at the Institut d’Optique Graduate School. Where? Institut d'Optique Graduate School, 2 Av. Augustin Fresnel, 91120 Palaiseau.

Second interactive theatre session with l’atelier Cigale, 2-4pm. For students and staff at the Institut d’Optique Graduate School. Where? Institut d'Optique Graduate School, 2 Av. Augustin Fresnel, 91120 Palaiseau.