Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said it was “absurd” to be fined for employing too many women in senior positions in the city.
Hidalgo’s comments came after she was fined 90,000 euros ($ 110,000) by the French Ministry of Public Service, which stated that Paris City Hall violated the rules by hiring more women than men in 2018.
“I am happy to announce that we have been fined,” Hidalgo said at a city council meeting, noting that the fine was absurd according to Yahoo News.
Hidalgo’s fine came as a result of having eleven women and only five men in management positions in 2018, Yahoo News reported.
“The city hall management has suddenly become much too feminist,” Hidalgo said with a laugh. She added that the fine brought her joy.
The rule, introduced in 2013, stated that, according to the BBC, no more than 60 percent of new appointments to public service management positions should go to one gender.
“This fine is clearly absurd, unfair, irresponsible and dangerous,” said Hidalgo.
The French public service minister, Amélie de Montchalin, weighed in on the situation on Twitter, writing that the “absurd” provision was withdrawn in 2019.
.@Anne_Hidalgo, the cause of the female mérite mieux! No abrogé cette disposition absurd dès 2019. You have been won by Paris for 2018 financial actions to promote women in the publication of the position. Je vous invites the ministère to les évoquer! https://t.co/QyIYA41mBv
– Amélie de Montchalin (@AdeMontchalin) December 15, 2020
“I want the fine paid by Paris for 2018 to fund concrete actions to promote women in public service. I invite you to the ministry to discuss them!” she said.