Parité en Politique: entre Progrés et Stagnation

This report by the Haut Conseil à l'Égalité entre les Femmes et les Hommes analyses gender parity in access to elected mandates and functions in France, comparing outcomes where there is no legal constraint, where there are legal inducements (e.g. financial deductions for parties failing to field joint candidacies in legislative elections), and where there are binding legal constraints.

Where there is no legal constraint, men remain the majority among mayors, and among presidents of departmental councils, regional councils and inter-communal bodies. Where there are legal inducements such as financial deductions for non-compliant joint candidacies, the results are inconclusive. Where there are binding legal constraints, women represent about half of elected officials — for example within the municipal councils of municipalities with 1,000 or more inhabitants, and within regional councils.

By analysing national, European and local election results, the report shows that binding legal constraints are associated with markedly better gender-parity outcomes than voluntary financial inducements or the absence of any constraint.