Solicitud directa (CEACR) - Adopción: 2025, Publicación: 114ª reunión CIT (2026)

Francia

Convenio sobre igualdad de remuneración, 1951 (núm. 100) (Ratificación : 1953)
Convenio sobre la discriminación (empleo y ocupación), 1958 (núm. 111) (Ratificación : 1981)
Convenio sobre los trabajadores con responsabilidades familiares, 1981 (núm. 156) (Ratificación : 1989)

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of ratified Conventions on equality, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine the Conventions Nos 100 (equal remuneration), 111 (discrimination in employment and occupation) and 156 (workers with family responsibilities) together.

The Committee notes the observations of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) concerning the three Conventions, received on 29 August 2025, and those of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT) concerning Conventions Nos 100 and 111, received on 17 October 2025. The Committee notes the Government’s responses to these observations.

Part I. Conventions Nos 100 and 111

Convention No. 111 – National policy to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation

Articles 1 to 3. National policy on equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation. At the outset, the Committee notes that the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in its concluding observations of October 2023, said that it was concerned by reports that certain groups, in particular the Roma, persons with disabilities, persons belonging to minority groups, women, young persons and migrants, continue to experience difficulties in gaining access to work, and recommended that the Government take specific account of the needs of groups disproportionately affected by unemployment (E/C.12/FRA/CO/5, 30 October 2023, paras 20–21).

Race, colour and national extraction. Roma and Travellers. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that: (1) the effort against anti-Gypsy sentiment, set out as a goal of the French strategy 2020–30 for equality, inclusion and the participation of the Roma, has been integrated into the National Plan to combat racism, antisemitism and discrimination on grounds of origin 2023–26; (2) the Inter-ministerial Delegation for accommodation and access to housing (Dihal) is piloting a Travellers centre, a school mediation programme that aims primarily to keep Roma children in school, and an enhanced support programme to help young persons, including the Roma community, to access housing and jobs; and (3) support measures to ensure education for children of travelling and Traveller families have been included as priority objectives in the strategy to combat poverty 2023–27. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any new measures taken and progress made concerning: (i) the fight against discrimination and stigmatization of the Roma and Traveller communities, particularly with regard to access to employment; and (ii) the enrolment and retention in school or vocational training of children, young persons and adults from these communities.

Religion. The Committee notes the Government’s statement, in response to its previous comment, that no assessment has been carried out of the impact of Act No. 2010-1192 of 11 October 2010, prohibiting the concealment of the face in public places, on the employment of Muslim women. The Government recalls that it is important to distinguish between freedom of conscience itself, which protects personal convictions, and the freedom to manifest one’s religious convictions (including by practices or external signs), the exercise of which may be limited by a private sector employer where justified by the nature of the task to be performed and proportionate with the objective pursued (section L.1321-3 of the Labour Code). The Committee notes that the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its concluding observations of November 2023, recommended that the Government take measures to combat the structural barriers in access to employment and occupation faced by women belonging to ethnic or religious minorities, (CEDAW/C/FRA/CO/9, 14 November 2023, para. 36(g)). The Committee requests the Government to provide: (i) information on the measures taken or envisaged to combat discrimination in employment and occupation based on workers’ actual or perceived religion; and (ii) examples of administrative or court decisions concerning discrimination on grounds of religion, particularly on the application of Act No. 2010-1192 of 11 October 2010 where relevant.

Other grounds. Persons with disabilities.Equality of opportunity and treatment in education, vocational training and employment. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the measures taken to support access to education, vocational training and employment for persons with disabilities. It notes in particular that, following the adoption of Act No. 2023-1196 of 18 December 2023 on full employment, France Travail is now legally required to provide appropriate support to any person with a recognized disability, thereby ensuring the universal right of persons with disabilities to work in a mainstream environment. With regard to education, the Government states that the number of students with disabilities more than tripled between 2005 and 2024 (from 151,000 to 520,000). However, it acknowledges that in 2024, persons with a recognized disability represented only 1.8 per cent of those with apprenticeship contracts (work-study programmes), even though they are a priority group for this type of scheme. Lastly, the Government announced, on 6 March 2025, the establishment of medical-social services within schools (one pilot project per region was put in place at the start of the 2025 school year, with the aim of 100 projects by 2027). With regard to disability, the Defender of Rights, in its thematic report published online on 10 February 2025, presents a mixed review of the situation, denouncing, in particular, problems of accessibility to workplaces, persistent obstacles to education for children with disabilities, and many challenges concerning occupational integration. Recalling that employment is the first area where discrimination on grounds of disability is found, it calls for recognition of the discriminatory nature of refusing to take reasonable accommodation measures (reform sheets Nos 37, 39 and 57; July 2023). The Committee also notes the observations made by the CFDT and CGT, which state that, despite significant efforts and progress, problems remain with access to education, training, quality jobs, adapted housing and public transport; and recall that women workers and women with disabilities are especially exposed to gender-based and sexual violence, particularly at work. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on: (i) the measures taken to promote and ensure equality of opportunity and treatment for persons with disabilities in education, vocational training and employment; and (ii) the results achieved with regard to integration in schools, and in employment and occupation.

Articles 1 to 3. National policy for equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation. Sex. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that only 20 per cent of workers are employed in so-called “mixed” occupations (those in which the proportion of women and men is between 35 and 65 per cent), which remains very low and, in its view, is because of the persistence of very different study pathways for men and women, particularly due to gender stereotypes and the functioning of the labour market (see “Towards Real Gender Equality in France: Key figures” 2024, page 41). The Government indicates its intentions to: (1) combat horizontal and vertical occupational segregation and promote gender diversity in employment at all levels, including through the adoption of national organizational plans, such as “We are all equal” (Toutes et tous égaux) plan 2023–27, which seeks to promote women’s place in sectors where they are under-represented and support them, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) training courses and careers; (2) actively combat gender stereotypes and sexist prejudices (the agreement for equality between girls and boys and between women and men in the education system 2019–24 is currently being renewed); (3) identify and eliminate barriers to women’s equality and employment, including through the Equality Index; and (4) develop and strengthen systems that enable parents to better reconcile work and family responsibilities (see below). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on: (i) the measures taken to fight occupational segregation, and gender stereotypes and biases; (ii) the measures taken to evaluate the impact of the awareness-raising campaigns, plans, programmes and procedures for supporting vulnerable persons and reporting discrimination; and (iii) the progress made further to the implementation of the “We are all equal” (Toutes et tous égaux) 2023–27 plan, and other programmes.

Indirect discrimination based on sex. Unequal treatment between domestic workers and other categories of workers. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in response to its previous request on this point, and particularly the fact that the Court of Cassation considered that the list contained in section L7221-2 of the Labour Code, which defines the only provisions applicable to the employees of an individual as employer, is not in fact limited and that other provisions of ordinary law apply to them.

Sexual harassment. The Committee notes the statistical information provided by the Government concerning the follow-up to cases of sexual harassment in the overseas departments and the measures taken to prevent and punish sexual harassment in the private sector and the public service. It notes the CGT’s observations on this matter, acknowledging the legislative progress made but reporting gaps in its implementation and calling for, in particular: (i) the extension of the powers and resources for labour inspectors and occupational doctors; (ii) awareness-raising of this issue among all employees, including managers; (iii) the requirement for employers to present annually the plan for the prevention of gender-based and sexual violence and its results; (iv) penalization of enterprises for non-compliance with prevention requirements; and (v) victim protection from dismissal and penalties. In this regard, the Committee also notes that CEDAW recommended that the Government raise awareness among employers and employees of sexual harassment and the relevant provisions, and train law enforcement officials on the procedures for the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace (CEDAW/C/FRA/CO/9, para. 36(e) and (f)). With regard to the public service, the Committee lastly notes the recommendation by the Defender of Rights to improve the personnel protection for public officials who are victims of sexual harassment (that is the due protection by the administration for its employees in line with their duties) (reform sheet No. 36, July 2023). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to: (i) prevent and combat all forms of sexual harassment in the public service; and (ii) encourage and monitor the implementation of the employer’s requirements to take all necessary measures to prevent sexual harassment, put an end to it and penalize it.

Discrimination on grounds of pregnancy. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that pregnancy and family situation are included in the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Labour Code (section L1132-1) but that the figures for complaints of discrimination filed with the Defender of Rights confirm the persistence of indirect discrimination against pregnant women, single parents and carers. In this regard, the Committee notes the recommendation of the Defender of Rights to amend the law to include periods of maternity and paternity leave in the calculation of unemployment insurance; and to extend the period during which it is prohibited by law for the employer to terminate an employment contract for women at the end of their pregnancy-related or maternity leave (reform sheet No. 34, July 2023). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to specifically combat persistent discrimination against pregnant women.

Prohibition of sexist behaviour. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in response to its previous request on this matter.

Convention No. 100 – Principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value

Article 2. Collective agreements. The Committee welcomes the information provided by the Government on branch and enterprise agreements relating to equal pay between women and men and the specific measures taken on the basis of these agreements to reduce pay gaps. The Committee notes that several of the agreements mentioned by the Government refer to the principle of “equal work, equal pay” (floristry branch, pet sales and services) or call on enterprises to ensure that, when recruited, women and men have the same wage and same classification for the same job, level of responsibility, training and experience (leather branch). In this regard, the Committee recalls that the Convention permits a broad scope of comparison, including, but going beyond “equal”, “the same” or “similar” work, and also encompasses work that is of an entirely different nature, which is nevertheless of equal value, which is essential for the full application of the Convention as often, in practice, women and men do not do the same jobs (see 2012 General Survey on the fundamental Conventions paras 673 and 675). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on: (i) the content of branch and enterprise agreements relating to equal pay between women and men and the specific measures taken on the basis of these agreements to reduce pay gaps; and (ii) initiatives taken to raise awareness among all social partners – particularly in the context of collective bargaining or the revision of collective agreements – of the full application of the principle of equal pay between women and men for work of equal value, and to promote good practices in this area.

Conventions Nos 100 and 111 – Application in practice

Enforcement.Specialized bodies. The committee notes the Government’s indication that work is under way to transpose Council Directive (EU) 2024/1499 of 7 May 2024 on standards for equality bodies. It also notes the CGT’s statement that the Defender of Rights lacks human and financial resources. In its 2024 annual report, the Defender of Rights drew the attention of the public authorities to the budgetary constraints weighing on the institution and its need for additional human and financial resources, underscoring chronic lack of resources affecting two areas: an increase in demands and the comparison with the numbers of officials in equivalent institutions at the European and international levels. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on: (i) the outcome of the transposition of the above-mentioned EU Directive; and (ii) the measures taken or envisaged to equip the Defender of Rights with sufficient financial and human resources for its mandate.

Labour inspection. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government concerning the means of action of the labour inspectorate, and in particular, its statement in its report relating to Convention No. 100 that the inspections and interventions of the labour inspectorate have been strengthened since the introduction of the professional equality index. It notes however the observations of the CGT deploring the chronic lack of resources and a steady decrease in staff numbers, resulting in fewer inspections relating to discrimination, which is an infringement that is difficult to detect. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on developments concerning: (i) the resources, especially in terms of staff numbers, of the labour inspectorate to enable it to carry out its duties and, in particular, to combat discrimination in employment and occupation; and (ii) the number of inspections and interventions in this area, and the follow-up given.

Access to justice and the courts. With regard to class actions, the Committee welcomes the Government’s information that Act No. 2025-391 of 30 April 2015 provides for the transposition of Directive (EU) 2020/1828 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2020: it broadens the scope of class actions, which can be brought in all areas of labour law, and expands the list of persons who can bring a class action in labour law, establishing a single legal procedure before both the administrative and judicial courts. The Committee also notes that the CGT, in its observations, deplores the fact that the courts, which are often understaffed, find it challenging to effectively judge discrimination cases: the rate at which discrimination complaints are dismissed without further action is too high and the time it takes to rule on a case is too long, which deters victims. Lastly, the Committee notes that the Defender of Rights notes, in view of requests for intervention it receives with regard to paid or unpaid employment, that despite the rules of evidence intended to facilitate court action by victims of discrimination, barriers persist that prevent access to the courts of justice for victims (framework decision of 31 August 2022). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on: (i) measures taken or envisaged to improve access to justice for victims of discrimination and the handling of cases by the courts; and (ii) the follow-up given to the recommendations of the Defender of Rights concerning claims relating to discrimination.

Statistics. The Government notes the information provided by the Government, particularly the information that in 2022 the Inequality Observatory launched the discrimination.fr platform, albeit not a state-led project and not aimed at centralizing all public statistics. The Committee recalls the repeated call by the Defender of Rights, supported by the CFDT in its observations, for the establishment of a body to monitor discrimination, composed of researchers, public authorities, occupational organizations and local groups, which would support public research and statistics in this area, and lead national discrimination testing campaigns. In this regard, the Committee refers to the comments it makes to the Government in its observation. It also notes CEDAW’s recommendation to reform the system for collecting data on women in the informal employment sector and on girls and migrant women in the labour sector (CEDAW/C/FRA/CO/9, para. 36(h)). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures adopted to evaluate the impact of the action taken to combat discrimination at work.

Part II. Convention No. 156

Article 3. Discrimination between men and women workers based on family responsibilities. National equality policy. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in response to its previous request on this matter and refers to its comments above on the national policy for equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation.

Articles 4(a) and 7. Access to vocational guidance and training. The Committee notes that, according to the figures provided by the Government, a stand-alone survey of the Directorate for Research, Studies and Statistics of the Ministry of Labour (DARES) of 2024, showed that, while most of those taking parental leave were women (94.5 per cent), proportionally twice as many men undertook training during this period (16 per cent of men compared to 8 per cent of women). The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information, disaggregated by sex, on the number of those taking parental leave, indicating the number of persons who undertook training during or after the leave.

Article 4(b). Equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and social security. Entitlement to leave and social security benefits. The Committee notes with interest the measures adopted to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in employment for workers with family responsibilities, particularly: (i) the extension to 28 days for paternity leave (with a requirement of seven consecutive days) in 2021; (ii) the reduction, since 2023, from ten to six months of the affiliation period required to be entitled to daily maternity, paternity and adoption insurance benefits; (iii) the launch of the Public Service for Early Childhood in July 2023 to ensure high-quality care for all children and their parents at a reasonable price; (iv) the adoption of Act No. 2023-622 of 19 July 2023 aimed at strengthening the protection of families with children who have a disease or disability, or who are victims of a serious accident; (v) Act No. 2023-1196 of 18 December 2023 on full employment; (vi) the target and management agreements signed between the National Family Allowance Fund (Cnaf) and the State for the periods 2018–22 and 2023–27 to strengthen family services and reduce social and regional inequalities; and (vii) the establishment of the inter-ministerial carers strategy 2023–2027. The Committee also notes that CEDAW, in its concluding observations of November 2023, recommended, in view of the limited use of paternity leave by fathers, that the Government strengthen programmes to encourage men to avail themselves of paternity leave (CEDAW/C/FRA/CO/9, 14 November 2023, paras 35(c) and 36(b)). The Committee also notes that, according to the information in the Government’s report, while 82 per cent of eligible employees took paternity leave within three months after the birth, as of 1 April 2023, 88.3 per cent of beneficiaries of the daily parental allowance and 74.5 per cent of beneficiaries of the carer’s allowance were women. This was also the case for 61 per cent of the beneficiaries of the carer’s allowance at the end of 2023. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on: (i) the reasons for the difference between the number of men and women who claim rights and benefits relating to family responsibilities (such as paternity or carer’s leave and daily parental allowance); and (ii) the impact of existing measures and any new provisions that take into account the needs of workers with family responsibilities.

Article 5. Childcare and family services and facilities. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on childcare, particularly: (i) the fact that between 2016 and 2022, coverage rose from 57.8 to 60.3 places per 100 children under 3 years, with funding for childcare for the most disadvantaged families remaining stable (between 4 and 7 per cent depending on the type of childcare); and (ii) the launch of the Public Service for Early Childhood in July 2023, which is a broad reform of early childhood care policy. The Government indicates that it is struggling with a shortage of professionals, which is problematic for the sustainability and increase in childcare capacity, but also for the quality of service provided to children and families. In this regard, the Committee notes the observations of the CGT, which warns of the deterioration in access to childcare for children under 3 years and of major scandals involving abuse and financial mismanagement in the private for-profit sector. According to the CGT, only 40 per cent of current needs are being met, which is leading to people leaving the workforce, most often to the detriment of women, with an impact not only on their professional careers but also on their quality of life in retirement. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to improve coverage of childcare needs for children aged 0 to 3 and older children, as well as on the results achieved, particularly in terms of creating childcare places and fighting against regional and social inequalities in childcare.

Article 6. Public understanding of the principle. The Committee welcomes the Government’s indication that a guide on women and single parenthood, and employment choices, aimed at micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), was published in 2023, further to the finding that while single parent families (85 per cent of which are headed by women) represent around 22 per cent of families, over 35 per cent of the poor are concentrated in this bracket. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on initiatives undertaken to inform and raise awareness among workers, employers and their organizations of the principle of equality of opportunity and treatment for workers of both sexes and the problems of workers with family responsibilities.

Article 7. Labour market integration. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in response to its previous request on this matter.

Article 11. Participation of employers’ and workers’ organizations in the implementation of the Convention. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in response to its previous request on this matter.

Enforcement. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the Defender of Rights specifies that, in 2024, 2 per cent of claims related to discrimination on grounds of family situation (2.6 per cent in 2022 and 2 per cent in 2017) and 3 per cent on grounds of pregnancy (4.2 per cent in 2022 and 3.3 per cent in 2017). The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on complaints of discrimination on grounds of family responsibilities handled by the Defender of Rights, the labour inspectorate and the courts, specifying the outcome of these complaints.