“Women’s employment is the result of political choices”
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HASwould we have reached the maximum level of equality between women and men? In any case, this is what the “Demographic projections of the active population by 2080”, published in July by INSEE. It is indeed projected the end of the progression of the female activity rate, which would therefore stagnate at its current level (except for those over 55, for whom an increase is anticipated). The gap between the male and female rates would be frozen at its current value, i.e. more than 8 points for the 25 to 54 age group (respectively 92% against 84%). This is “a significant gap that will remain between the activity of men and women”, simply indicates the rating! However, it reflects a strong inequality in terms of access to employment, which thus appears to be perpetuated for decades to come. At the same time, the total share of women in the labor force, which has been increasing until now, would have reached its maximum in 2021 (48.9%) and would then decrease. Already in its 2006 exercise, INSEE projected its regression after 2015, which did not happen.
The INSEE projections (and those of the Pensions Orientation Council, COR) are intended to present medium- and long-term prospects with regard to potential demographic, economic and social changes. They are decision support tools for politicians. Presenting a fixed future for women’s employment in this way results in erasing potential progress in this area from the list of possibilities. Women’s employment is the result of political choices.
We know, however, that the policies implemented greatly influence the activity of women in an incentive or, on the contrary, deterrent sense. Let us recall the highly regressive effect of a measure adopted in 1994: the parental education allowance which previously existed for parents of three children was extended to parents of two children. This measure has encouraged many women to withdraw from the labor market to take care of their children: in three years, according to the direction of research, studies, evaluation and statistics, the activity rate of mothers of two children and more thus fell by 16 points.
Having a (quality) job is the majority wish of women. This is the condition of their financial autonomy, of their emancipation. But they come up against many obstacles, on which an adapted policy can act: in addition to the persistent inequalities of wages and the precariousness of many feminized professions, one can evoke the inadequacy of childcare services. Even if the situation in France is better than in neighboring countries, half of the under-3s, i.e. 1 million children, still cannot find a childcare place (the recent promise to create 200,000 crèche places is far from meeting the needs). In the end, in 2019, France is only at the 20th out of 38 OECD countries for the female employment rate.
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