Séverine Lemière

Equal opportunities policies for women and men : a critical analysis of the 1998-1999 Employment Action Plans

Equal opportunities for men and women are one of the express objectives of the employment guidelines. Apart from measures to combat sexual discrimination in employment (unemployment, earnings, occupational segregation, etc.), it is now a declared objective to introduce an integrated approach through mainstreaming, making equality cut across all the employment pillars. This article seeks to highlight the innovative measures taken in this field and the advances as compared to 1998, but also to show where ground has been lost and where the various European plans are silent. The article falls into two main parts. We begin by looking at Guidelines 20 and 21, which are characterised by the importance they give to reconciling work and family life through specific new measures affecting the labour market. We then describe in detail the different approaches developed by the European countries to the concept of mainstreaming and draw up a typology of them, which will be something original since it does not entirely follow the traditional divides (between northern and southern countries, etc.).

Assessing Gender Discrimination amongst Young People on their Arrival into the Labour Market: Analysis of Young Populations of French and Foreign Origins

The subject of this chapter is a topical question in France. There are a great number of measures and laws concerning questions of discrimination and equality between men and women for example: 1. The law of 16 November 2001 concerns the fight against all kinds of discrimination. 2. The High Authority for the Struggle against Discrimination and for Equality (HALDE) will be set up on 1 January 2005. 3. The ‘Genisson’ Law of 9 May 2001 makes collective bargaining obligatory for professional equality between men and women. 4. In 2004 an ‘equality label’ will be created, to be awarded to firms that develop actions in favour of equality between men and women, and so on.

Work and employment policies in French establishments in 1998

The present paper analyses current employment and work policies in French establishments on the basis of the REPONSE survey that was conducted in 1998. By employment and work policy we mean a parallel study of customary employment relationship characteristics as well as work organisation practices. Our study is rooted in several employment policy variables as well as variables relating to work organisation. The methodology used is based on two complementary analytical tools: multiple correspondence analysis (MCA); and Kohonen’s neuronal algorithm (KMCA). After an exploratory study our interpretations are complemented by the construction of a typology.