On Monday 23 January, the High Council for Gender Equality published its second annual Sexism Barometer, based on the latest official figures and on the results of the barometer produced by the Viavoice Institute from a survey of 2,500 representative people.    

Public opinion is contradictory : it recognises the existence of sexism but does not condemn it in practice, particularly among men. For example, although 37 % of women report having experienced non-consensual sex, only 12% of men admit to forced sexual relations.

 

Both men and women can be victims of sexist and sexual violence. Nevertheless, national and international studies indicate that the majority of victims of sexist and sexual violence are women. Women are three times more likely to be victims of sexual violence, and in 98% of cases, the perpetrators of sexist or sexual violence are men. 

Nearly a quarter of men in the 25 to 34 age group consider that it is sometimes necessary to use violence in order to gain respect, and 40% of men of all ages think it normal for women to stop work to look after their children. As for women, 80% consider that they are less well treated than men due to their gender, and 37% report having experienced non-consensual sexual relations. 

​​​​​​The environments in which women experience the most sexism are the street and public transport (57%), the home (49%) and the workplace (46 %). The workplace is identified as particularly sexist: only 20% of French men and women consider that "women and men in the workplace are equal in practice". As noted by the HCE, this is "a score that has dropped by 3 points" compared to the previous year. Over a third of women (37%) claim to have been subjected to sexual discrimination in their career guidance, and - in equal positions with equal skill levels - 23% of women have experienced a pay gap between them and a male colleague. This figure rises to 34% for women managers, one in five of whom consider they have experienced workplace discrimination.

Zero tolerance at EDF

The publication of these figures provides the company with an opportunity to reiterate is standpoint on this issue: zero tolerance of all forms of discrimination and violence. It places the challenges of combatting and preventing sexist and sexual violence at the centre of a wider health and safety policy, which remains the Group's overriding priority.