According to calculations by the feminist newsletter Les Glorieuses, which has tracked this date annually since 2016, women in France will begin working "for free" on Thursday, November 19, at 10:51 AM. This symbolic date marks the point at which women would have earned the equivalent of their current annual income if they were paid at the same average hourly rate as men.
The newsletter cites Eurostat data from 2024, the latest available figures, indicating that women in France earn an average of 11.8% less than men. This gap is slightly higher than the 11.1% disparity recorded across the European Union. The data shows a gradual reduction in this inequality since 2018, when the gap stood at 16.7%, down from 12.3% in 2023.
Rebecca Amsellem, founder of Les Glorieuses, acknowledged to AFP that while the trend is moving in the right direction, focusing solely on salary is insufficient to understand economic inequalities a decade after the campaign's inception. She emphasized that a wage gap represents a gap in freedom, noting that women often forgo projects and investments due to a lack of financial means.
To address these disparities, Les Glorieuses is calling for specific measures, including conditioning corporate access to public markets and subsidies on compliance with equal pay standards. Amsellem argues this would cost the state zero additional euros. The organization also advocates for revaluing female-dominated professions in care and education, which are described as essential for social cohesion.
Further recommendations include implementing a fully paid post-birth leave equivalent to maternity leave for both parents, a measure proven effective in Portugal and Spain. Additionally, the newsletter urges the transposition of the 2023 European directive on pay transparency. A bill regarding this directive was presented to the Council of Ministers in September with the stated goal of reducing remuneration gaps between men and women.
Sources: Le Figaro.