French Presidential Election and Gender Equality

As part of the Gender Equality and Public Policy Certificate run by the School of Public Affairs and Sciences Po's Gender Studies Programme, three Master's students analysed the political programmes of the twelve candidates lining up to contest the French presidential election, on 10 April, 2022.

The left-right divide still exists

Through an exhaustive analysis of the twelve candidates’ official programmes, Sciences Po students Coline Baralon, Louise Besnard and Mickael Raggi show how the left-right divide is still relevant when it comes to gender equality-related proposals.

While left wing candidates frame their gender equality proposals in an emancipatory perspective, right wing candidates embody a more traditional and familyist approach. Far-right programmes, on the other hand, fall under femonationalism.

Half-hearted commitments

Do the political projects of the candidates meet the expectations of feminist organisations? Drawing on proposals put forward by 10 French feminist organisations, the students show that even if some issues are included in some programmes some topics are completely missing.

Feminist organisations’ proposals on equality in the workplace, sexual and reproductive health and rights and parenting are echoed in most political programmes. However, many issues are largely absent from this election campaign, such as gender stereotyping in career choice, sexism in the media, feminist foreign policy development, and gender equality in sports.

• View the report’s Executive Summary (PDF, 260Ko)
• Read the full report in French (FR) (PDF, 900Ko)

Learn more

• The Sciences Po Gender Equality and Public Policy Certificate
• Coline Baralon and Louise Besnard are students at the Sciences Po School of Public Affairs, respectively in the European Affairs and Public Policy Masters. Mickael Raggi is a student in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action at the Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA)
• Réjane Sénac (FR) is a CNRS research director at the Centre for Political Research at Sciences Po (CEVIPOF) and a member of Sciences Po's Gender Studies Programme PRESAGE