Issues
Female entrepreneurs and executives do not receive the same treatment in the media as their male counterparts. Despite France’s Copé-Zimmermann law on professional equality and the progress made in increasing the number of women in senior management positions, their visibility in the media, often based on stereotypes, is indicative of the persistence of inequalities in the professional world. The recurring questions put to them focus more on their ‘condition’ as women than on what should be the focus of attention: their profession and their skills. This biased treatment is detrimental to their careers. Hence the importance of documenting and illustrating this situation, in order to raise awareness and encourage more egalitarian media coverage.
Actions
Created in 2018, the SISTA collective brings together female entrepreneurs around one idea: to establish more diversity among the leaders of the economic ecosystem.
Mirova Foundation and SISTA wanted to document the media’s treatment of women managers and entrepreneurs through a study carried out by the Mots-Clés editorial communications agency. Based on a corpus of nearly 120 articles published in 19 national press outlets, the study’s findings highlight the stereotypical issues facing women.
To illustrate the conclusions of the study, the Mirova Foundation and SISTA teamed up with Malmö Productions to create a video with an offbeat tone under the hashtag #SiJétaisElles (‘if I were them’), which was broadcast on social platforms and networks based on a simple question: ‘What if we asked men and women the same questions?’ Eight business and political leaders took part in the interview: François-Henri Pinault (Kering), Frédéric Mazzella (BlaBlaCar), Philippe Zaouati (Mirova), Xavier Niel (Iliad-Free), Thierry Déau (Méridiam), Nicolas Hieronimus (L’Oréal), Jean-Marie Tritant (Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield) and Cédric O (French Secretary of State for Digital). Questions identified in the Mots-Clés study as typically asked of women were put to them on subjects such as work-life balance, returning to work after paternity leave, their ‘morning routine’ and dealing with imposter syndrome.
Key figures
Our support
- Financial support in our awareness-raising activities
- Advocacy for gender equality