The Equality Club was launched this Tuesday, January 20, in the Alpes-Maritimes in the presence of Prefect Adolphe Colrat and the cooperative “Alter Egaux.” This initiative is part of professional equality between women and men.
The law of August 4, 2014, “for equality between women and men” aims to consolidate women’s rights and ensure their effectiveness when not acquired, open new perspectives for equality, and create conditions useful for advancing equality. As such, the law aims to promote gender diversity in companies, raise awareness to combat sexist stereotypes, and ensure professional equality between women and men.
“The three words of the Republican motto, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity are not given but fought for. Equality never comes spontaneously,” emphasizes Adolphe Colrat, Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes. He subsequently announced a “significant event concerning the upcoming elections” that will take place in March. They plan for the simultaneous election of a man and a woman. Thus, the departmental assembly will have an equal number of men and women in a concern for professional equality.
“At the regional council, for many years we have been working on this point. With the law of August 4, 2014, equality takes concrete form. Inequalities must be fought. We must force things because it doesn’t happen naturally. The Equality Club is a way to move forward constructively that will be very impactful,” says Gaëlle Lenfant, vice president of the Regional Council.
The Alter-égaux cooperative
The Equality Club is co-supported and co-led by the cooperative Alter-égaux, within the framework of a public service delegation, under the aegis of the Departmental Delegate for Women’s Rights and Equality, Natacha Himelfarb.
Alter-égaux was created in December 2012 to promote gender diversity policies and support organizations towards professional equality between women and men.
“Today, 75% of companies do not comply with legal obligations regarding gender equality. Only 16% of jobs are mixed. This is very low,” notes Anne-Gaël Bauchet, Director of Alter-Egaux.
The action plan of the Equality Club in the Alpes-Maritimes proposes three distinct groups to take action. The first group will focus on the advantages of diversity in the workplace and real gender diversity in professions and teams. A second group will address the integration of young people to combat school dropout, which affects 80% of young men. This same group will also work with women to help them have more confidence in their professional skills.
Finally, a third group will fight against sexism from childhood. It is about working with parents so that children’s games do not reflect gender divisions. Games and toys are an essential element in constructing children’s dreams.
