“When women stop, everything stops.
» Around fifty organizations are calling for a labor and domestic strike on Friday, March 8, on the occasion of International Women's Day.
It is about demanding measures in favor of equality between the sexes.
This day “is an opportunity to take to the streets” to give visibility and defend the rights, in particular of “lowly paid essential employees”, “first on duty” and “women victims of violence”, launches Anne Leclerc, member of the collective which is organizing this “feminist strike”.
Feminist associations and unions are members (CGT, CFDT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, Solidaires, FSU).
“Live and not survive”
Tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected on Friday in more than 150 cities, including Bordeaux (Gironde), Lyon (Rhône) and Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), but also in smaller towns, such as Quimper (Finistère) or Belfort .
In Paris, the procession will leave at 2 p.m. from Place Gambetta towards Place de la Bastille.
The demonstrators will protest in particular against the low income of women and their consequences.
The mobilization is taking place, among other things, around the idea that women want to “live and not survive”.
In a context of high inflation which affects the purchasing power of households, women and children are the first victims of poverty, associations warned this winter.
Salary inequalities exist “in all companies and in all administrations”, denounces Myriam Lebkiri, of the CGT.
“They are known and have several names”, such as the “sticky floor” or the “glass ceiling”, which refer to the difficulties women have in obtaining promotions.
Lower salaries, regardless of working hours and position held
Female employees earned on average 23.5% less than men in the private sector in 2022, according to a study by INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), published Tuesday.
This gap is partly explained by “the lower volume of annual work of women”, less often employed and more part-time.
However, for the same working hours, the average salary of women remains 14.9% lower than that of men because they work in “less paid” sectors and positions.
For identical working hours and positions, the difference is 4%.
To reduce these income differences, feminist and trade union organizations are calling for an increase in social minimums, an increase in salaries for feminized professions such as education, care or cleaning and a ban on imposed part-time work.
The weight of “unchosen parental care”
In the private sphere, women are “on the front line” for the education of children and the care of loved ones, points out Julie Ferrua, from Solidaires.
They are therefore “directly affected” by the absence or closure of public services, such as nursing homes or nurseries.
“It is urgent to create new rights, that for every child to find a mode of public collective care and that for every person to have their loss of autonomy taken care of, without this falling on women.
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With regard to the education of young children, "when parents cannot find a childcare solution, it is mainly mothers who take responsibility for unchosen parental care", confirms a study by the Drees (Directorate of research, studies, evaluation and statistics) published Tuesday.
Currently, the government estimates that there is a shortage of around 200,000 childcare places for young children and has promised to create them by 2030. This objective, however, is considered "unachievable" by a majority of players in the sector. due to the shortage of professionals.
“Even if the situation is changing, the division of domestic labor remains highly unequal, including when both spouses work.
We saw it during the Covid period,” regrets Soad Baba Aïssa, from the Femmes Solidaires association.
Going on strike and “not doing domestic work also demonstrates how essential everything we do is”.