Paris city hall has been fined 90,000 euros ($109,408) for having appointed too many women to top positions in 2018, in breach of a law aimed at ensuring gender balance.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo denounced the fine as “unfair” and “absurd” on Tuesday during a meeting of the city council.

In 2018, 11 women and 5 men — who represent just over 30% — were appointed to top positions in the Paris city hall, leading the Civil Service Ministry to impose the fine.

A 2013 law, meant to ensure that women get better access to senior jobs in the civil service, requires a minimum of 40% of appointments for each gender.

Since then, the law has been changed to provide for exceptions to nominations when the gender balance is respected overall.

In Paris city hall, 47% of all civil servants in senior positions are women.

“Yes, we need to promote women with determination and vigor because everywhere, France is still lagging behind (on that issue),” Hidalgo said.

Share:
More In Politics
So Long, Penny! Trump Orders US to Ditch 1-cent Coin
President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. to stop minting pennies. His surprise announcement comes after decades of unsuccessful efforts to phase out the 1-cent coin. Advocates for ditching the penny cite its high production cost and limited utility. Fans of the penny cite its usefulness in charity drives and relative bargain in production costs compared with the nickel. Here's a look at some question surrounding Trump's order.
Trump Administration Shutters Consumer Protection Agency
The Trump administration has ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop nearly all its work, effectively shutting down the agency that was created to protect consumers after the 2008 financial crisis and subprime mortgage-lending scandal. Russell Vought is the newly installed director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought directed the CFPB in a Saturday night email to stop work on proposed rules, to suspend the effective dates on any rules that were finalized but not yet effective, and to stop investigative work and not begin any new investigations. The agency has been a target of conservatives since President Barack Obama created it following the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
Load More