Feminist Diplomacy – Gender equality action plan (11 September 2024)

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs reaffirms its intention to enact an ever-more-ambitious policy to promote professional equality between men and women with the aim of providing the utmost job satisfaction for its employees. On September 11, the Ministry's secretary general and trade union representatives signed a new action plan to further gender equality for the period of 2024-2026.

This plan was developed in full consultation with the trade unions. The Senior Official for Gender Equality, associations (particularly Femmes & Diplomatie, which has more than 200 members) as well as the network of 230 equality advisors also played an active role in its development.

Relevant measures from the previous action plan (2021-2023) were carried over and stepped up, and their benchmarks were clarified. The efforts that were undertaken made it possible to achieve, for the second time, the goals set by the Sauvadet Law. In 2024, more than 45% of the ambassadors appointed for the first time were women. Likewise, more than 40% of the newly appointed Consuls General were women. The appointment of substitutes for employees during their maternity leave will be systematically stepped up. As for the Minister's office, 60% of its staff are women, a first for a government ministry - less than a century after the admission of Suzanne Borel, the first career diplomat, to the Ministry, whose name was assigned to the 2024 class of A and A+ titulaires who passed the civil service entrance exam.

The 2024-2026 plan contains new measures, including a new segment devoted to women's health and a tougher zero tolerance policy for sexual and gender-based violence. This pertains to private settings as well as both diplomatic postings and the central administration.