Women now occupy 29% of senior leadership positions at companies in France’s CAC 40 index, up from 19.5% four years ago—progress that still falls just short of a looming legal requirement.
Under French law, large companies must meet a minimum threshold of 30% women in top management starting March 1. The four-year jump suggests many of France’s biggest corporate groups have moved quickly as the deadline approaches, but some remain under the line.
A nine-point rise in four years
The shift is measurable: nearly 10 percentage points gained in four years, a pace the sector had not previously seen. The article attributes the acceleration to regulatory pressure, after voluntary commitments showed their limits.
Even so, at 29%, several CAC 40 companies are still below the required threshold. That final percentage point is not symbolic—it is the difference between meeting the law and falling out of compliance.
March 1 is the finish line
The March 1 deadline is now the focal point. Companies that have not reached the 30% floor will face the consequences set out in the law. That leaves much of the Paris stock market’s flagship index only a few appointments away from the target—an end point driven by regulation, not corporate choice.
The four-year trend indicates the law is reshaping executive teams. The next question, the article notes, is what happens after 30%: for now, there is no legal requirement pushing companies to go further.
