July Editorial by Aurore Mayer: Is Gender Parity a Competitive Sport?

With a score of 94 out of 100 on the Equality Index, our Group ranks among the leaders in terms of gender parity. This is a true source of pride for the women and men who make up our company and work every day to create an inclusive work environment where equal opportunity goes hand in hand with performance.

Indeed, gender parity is very much a matter of performance. Numerous studies have highlighted the correlation between gender diversity within companies and their ability to meet society’s needs, innovate, anticipate change, and demonstrate resilience.

But what kind of performance are we talking about? On the eve of the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, it’s tempting to explore a possible parallel between athletic performance and economic performance. On the athletic field, performance remains associated with speed, endurance, athletes’ exceptional physical abilities, and intense effort. It’s clear that this highly competitive approach doesn’t lend itself well to gender diversity. But progress is being made: seven new events are being added to the 2024 Games, for which teams must be composed of equal numbers of women and men. A revolution in the world of sports! A revolution called cooperation. Or, when what matters most is performing together, rather than simply adding up individual performances.

The company is one step ahead: we now fully understand that gender parity isn’t about “finding women who act like men ” (or vice versa), but rather to work together on models that allow all women and all men—in their immense diversity and far beyond the issue of gender differences alone—to find their place, express their uniqueness, and participate fully in our shared success.

“Simul et singulis”—“Be yourself among others”—is the motto of the Comédie-Française. “Citius, altius, fortius”—“Faster, higher, stronger”—is the motto of the Olympic Games. But in 2021, the word “communiter”—meaning “together”—was added to this original motto! This is good news: the worlds of sports, the arts, and business all aspire to a future centered on the strength of community and cooperation.

Aurore Mayer, Director of the “Un Une” Parity Network