On June 8, 2024, the “Pic-Mixte” took place in Nice, organized by Bouge ta Boîte and Nice Start(s) Up. This event focuses on diversity in business, particularly on the question of diversity in the professional environment.
The “Pic-Mixte“, organized by Bouge ta Boîte and Nice Start(s) Up in collaboration with the Nice City Hall, provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs to come together and exchange ideas during a debate on diversity. Although today 40% of sole proprietorships are run by women, awareness-raising actions supporting equal opportunities in entrepreneurship remain essential. “Pic-Mixte” was therefore created to allow debate on this issue of diversity with other entrepreneurs. Professionals are also present to find solutions for achieving greater diversity in businesses. The meeting is divided into two parts.
A Time for Reflection
Four professionals are present to guide the general debate, and several insights have emerged. For perfect diversity, a company should have between 40 to 60% men and women. However, in France, only 17% of professions are mixed. The norms ingrained in society portray scientific careers as male and literary ones as female. For Evan Adeny, a psychologist, it’s important to find the right keywords to capture men’s attention and encourage them to attend these diversity events. Lionel, the only man in the assembly, seems to agree with Mr. Adeny: “When I listen to you, I hear a lot of problems and negative words that we, men, cannot understand. We should try to present it from a performance perspective. Show what a woman can bring at the head of a company, for example.”
A Time for Debate
The main group is then split into four, each one departing with a speaker for a session of debate on the question of diversity. At the end of these, each group shares the important points from their debate.
One group focused on the issue of how to establish more diversity. The conclusion is to rely on existing laws and improve them. The second group tackled the problem of gender fatigue, a phenomenon showing that constantly talking about the fight for women’s rights can harm the cause. The third group evaluated diversity in business through each participant’s past experiences. Each discrimination encountered could positively resolve in the future by creating other opportunities, and women should not be hired just for parity figures, but for their skills. Finally, the last workshop used Lego to create a path toward diversity. Each interlocking piece demonstrates why diversity is beneficial and allows progress through the sharing of ideas.
The “Pic-Mixte” is a participatory workshop where participants ask questions and everyone tries to answer them together. There is still a long way to go to achieve diversity in business and to involve men in these types of workshops. But if everyone does their part, we can all be satisfied.
