Is there such a thing as too many women in leadership positions?
YesAccording to the French Ministry of Public Service, which recently fined Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo $ 90,000 (about $ 109,470) for appointing too many women as city officials, NPR reported.
French law requires that men and women must each be at least 40% represented in the local government.
In 2018, her office hired eleven women and five men to senior positions, giving women a 69% majority for new appointments.
On Tuesday, Hidalgo tweeted that she and the women serving next to her would like to travel to deliver the allowance in person.
Hidalgo intervened in the takeover, saying her intent was to “promote and one day achieve equality” with men across the French government.
Last year, France introduced an exemption from the 40% rule, according to Le Monde, as long as the imbalance in new hires does not contribute to general inequality between the government. In that case, they found that the Paris government is still compliant with only 47% women in leadership positions as a whole.
In addition, women are paid an average of 6% less in government than their male counterparts.
“In Paris, we are doing everything we can to make it a success and I am very proud of a great team of women and men fighting this fight for equality together,” she said.
“So there will be many of us,” she added.
Amélie de Montchalin, the French Minister of Public Service, sided with Hidalgo on Twitter, calling her own department’s measure “absurd”.
“@Anne_Hidalgo, women’s cause deserves better!” she tweeted. “I want the fine that Paris pays for 2018 to fund concrete actions to promote women in public service. I invite you to the ministry to raise them! “